The article considers the global trend towards regional trade agreements (RTA). The authors note that in addition to the common bilateral RTAs, countries conclude multilateral regional trade agreements. In particular, the article examines changes in the world economy, which occur under the influence of the mega-regional trade agreements (MRTA) formation. An example of the MRTA is the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and its possible impact onRussiais discussed in the present article. The authors discuss the stages of TPP development, its goals, provisions, innovations and prospects. The article analyses an example of a country’s withdrawal from an agreement, its’ consequences and possible impact on the country itself and other signatory countries to the agreement. The article points out the differences between TPP and TPP-11. Inparticular, the article discusses the possible impact of the TPP-11 onRussia. Trade relations betweenRussiaand TPP-11 signatory countries are considered, and key markets among TPP-11 countries are identified. The article highlights the importance ofRussia's rapid response to the possible consequences of the TPP-11, including the possible conclusion of bilateral trade agreements between the EAEU, whereRussiais a member, and potential partners from TPP-11 countries.

The paper covers new approaches of theUSadministration to foreign economic policy with focus onChina, the wide range of instruments being used against unfair Chinese practicies.USpolicy with some issues shaping theUSparticipation in the world economy and changing relations with main trade partners, includingChina, is being analyzed. The Tariffs being imposed by US and then byChinaare only a piece of the problem. The negotiations over the protection of intellectual property, cyber theft, technology transfers are on the agenda. It is highlighted thatChina’s science and technology capabilities, with growing of research and development spending remaining extremely high, has made it possible to become a prominent player and the largest world’ producer in many technology-intensive industries. Also its relative position is not so strong in the knowledge – intensive services sector, where US and leading EU countries are dominating, China’s growth in this field is far more rapid than developed economies overall. While global economic competition is increasing, it becomes more difficult to reach the bilateral understanding between US andChina.

The world economy recovers from global financial crisis slowly and unevenly that calls a question about efficiency and advantage of economic globalization for the countries of the world. Developing countries recovered from global financial crisis of 2008–2009 comparative quickly, and it was promoted in many respects by the high prices of raw materials and low levels of debt of these countries. NowChinatakes leader positions in the international capital flow and world trade. Globalization had significant effect on scales of the involvement of the country into world economic communications that became one of the reasons of overheating of national economy. The economy ofChina, besides the increasing overheating potential, begins to be under pressure from the trade conflict initiated by theUSA. In these conditions problems of structural reforming ofChina’ economy, on that depend competitive positions of the country in the world economy depend, become aggravated. In modern Sinology, the problems of trade conflicts between countries are studied very fragmentally. Approaches of the author are based on the results previously obtained by Russian scientists Y. M. Galenovich, A. P. Mozias, M. L. Titarenko, and theoretical developments of leading research centers. Historical approach, comparative, system analysis and synthesis, prognostic and problem analysis were used as instrumental scientific methods in the research presented in the article. The author's ideas are based on the hypothesis of the relationship of «overheating», appearing in the economies with the growth of economic contradictions and conflicts between them.

In October 2018 an updated Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 4.0 was introduced in the Global Competitiveness Report2018. Inthe article identify the main differences in the structure and methodology of calculating GCI in the editions of the Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018 and the Global Competitiveness Report2018. Areview of a number of sources showed that researchers don’t pay enough attention to innovations in the structure and methodology of calculating GCI 4.0. As a result of analyzing the structure and methodology of calculating GCI 4.0, it was revealed that a number of adjustments were made in the Index aimed at marking the importance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, equalization the conditions when calculating the Index for countries at different stages of development, and taking into account current tendencies of the world economy. In conclusion, the author emphasizes that these innovations have reduced the high degree of subjectivity of the GCI, eliminated a number of difficulties in independent determining the value of the Index and increased the transparency of the calculations.

The article analyzes current trends in the dynamics and geographical structure of foreign trade relations of the Russian Federation, which appeared in 2018 as a continuation of the breakthrough achievements of Russia in this area in the preceding 2017. The past year was characterized by new, generally positive, shifts in the foreign trade of the Russian Federation, despite the rather tough conditions of the extension of anti-Russian restriction measures by the world's leading trade contractors – the United States, the European Union, Japan and other major suppliers to international product markets. At the same time, it should be taken into consideration that quite noticeable successes in Russian foreign trade practice were accompanied by other positive results in the development of the country's economy. Such circumstances are of particular importance in the context of the manifestation and growth in recent years of increasing uncertainty, unpredictability and, as a consequence, the general «turbulence» in the systems of the world economy and international economic relations. Therefore, the need for researching new trends gaining weight in the sphere of export-import contacts of theRussian Federationat the stage of exacerbation of the situation in the global commodity exchange is now quite naturally actualized.

The waste market is a large segment of international trade, which allows earning on the recyclable treatment materials and the waste trade. The separate waste collection allows obtaining a better quality of recyclable materials, which can be processed without additional sorting. Toda, measures for infrastructure development for separate collection, recycling, and incineration of solid municipal waste are established as part of the Strategy of solid municipal waste management in theRussian Federation. At the same time, disposal is the primary method of waste management. As a result, there is a problem of development of separate waste collection system which is aimed at reducing the use of a non-eco-friendly and desirable method of waste management – disposal. OECD proposes many standards for separate waste collection are possible, including integration of waste management hierarchy, development of extended producer responsibility practices, stimulation and training of population in a separate waste collection, etc. These measures allowed OECD countries, for example,Germany,Sweden,Austriato become world leaders in the field of waste treatment. These countries improve the quality of the environment, earn through recycling, resale of garbage, saving the money by re-using of useful components contained in the wastes.

The article deals with the latest trends in US trade in electronic services, in particular audiovisual services, computer services and data processing services, telecommunication services. Since 2007 trade of audiovisual services has been the most significant in theUSe-services export. The largest consumers of these services are the European Union, Asia and the Pacific region (the main consumers areChinaandIndia) and Central and South America (BrazilandArgentina). Among the countries, the main importers of American audiovisual services are theUK,CanadaandGermany. The main share of audiovisual services is occupied by film distribution and streaming media. In theUSAaudiovisual services are imported by theUK,Brazil,Mexico,CanadaandArgentina. For several years there is a deficit in the trade turnover of computer services in theUnited States. The main importers of these services from theUnited Statesare theUnited Kingdom.Canada,Switzerland,India,Germany. TheUSA, in turn, uses computer services fromIndia(47%),Canada,Ireland, theUKandGermany. The American telecommunications market is about a quarter of the world's, so theUSAis the largest national market for this type of service. The importing countries of theUStelecommunications services are theUnited Kingdom,Mexico,India,Canadaand theNetherlands, and the main export consumers areBrazil,Argentina, theUnited Kingdom,VenezuelaandCanada.

The paper examines the public’s attitude towards trade with other countries, employing comparative analysis of the polls’ results of the Surveys conducted across 27 countries. The research highlights the attitude of respondents concerning the influence of international trade on the key national economic indicators, whether growing trade and business ties good for their country, how the respondents view the influence of trade with other countries on cutting/creating jobs. InRussiamore respondents consider trade raises than lowering prices. Special attention is paid on how respondents view the influence of trade with other countries on cutting and creating jobs. American respondents twice as likely to respond trade is good for their country as to believe it creates jobs or raises wages. Comparing with previous years polls, the last year poll shows much fewer Americans believe that trade with other countries leads to cutting jobs. While in US more respondents answer that trade leads to creation jobs, inMexicoand some other countries less respondents think so.

The article discusses some approaches to evaluation of trade facilitation measures developed by international economic organizations. The main benchmarks showing the effect of foreign trade policy conducted by public authorities have been identified. The author named the main evaluation criteria applied to the analysis of measures implemented in order to simplify trade procedures, and also considered the approaches (general, special) to the analysis of the effectiveness of public policy in this area. Using the results of the ranking of the EAEU member states as an example, a comparative analysis was made of various ratings used in evaluating the implementation of trade facilitation initiatives, which are compiled according to different approaches to the analysis of the effectiveness of trade facilitation measures. The research shows that the use of the approaches described in the article has certain limitations, and to obtain a reliable evaluation, it is necessary to betake a comprehensive analysis. Also, these limitations should be taken into account when using statistical information from the sources considered when building economic models.