Foreign Trade Relations of the European Union in the Context of Instability of the Global Economy

The article analyzes the competitive positions in the system of modern international trade of the world's largest regional integration community - the European Union (EU), consisting of 28 member countries (in the period 2014-2019). The most important trends in the dynamics and geographical structure of the EU's foreign trade relations are considered against the background of increasing global turbulence, as well as in the run-up to the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Based on actual and statistical data, the author shows that the leading integration bloc managed to maintain its leadership in the world commodity exchange in the conditions of increasing global uncertainty due to its foreign trade policy, which includes a number of effective tools. The experience gained by the EU is undoubtedly of valuable for a more detailed study. During the period under review there were very significant changes in the sphere of world trade, both at the global and regional levels. These include rising tensions caused by the spread of protectionism among leading actors, the formation of new types of trade alliances, and the use of sanctions against competitors under the guise of ideology or security. 2020 brought more disaster caused by COVID-19. Such trends have a negative impact on the dynamics of global trade, including foreign trade relations of the European Union.