Commercial diplomacy as a tool for promoting business opportunities for national agricultural traders
Authors: Yatsenkо Olha , Іatsenko Oleksandr , Khmara Pavlo 
Published: November 2024

The study substantiates that agricultural trading is very important for the modern global agricultural market, as it allows to ensure a balance between production and demand for products, as well as provides access to a variety of agricultural products and raw materials for different markets, countries and regions. Agricultural trading contributes to the efficient allocation of resources, reducing risks for farmers and buyers through the diversity of production and the use of financial instruments to protect against price fluctuations. In addition, agricultural trading promotes market integration and the development of international trade in agricultural products, which helps maintain the stability and development of the global agricultural sector. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian agro traders have faced significant risks and numerous difficulties in their work. One of the biggest challenges for all sector participants is the complication of logistics at every stage of the supply chain. Commercial diplomacy can help improve trade efficiency and attract investment to expand business opportunities for national agro traders. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the theoretical foundations and features of commercial diplomacy and its contribution to expanding business opportunities for national agro-traders in global agri-food markets. The study emphasizes that despite the fact that in the modern world, global diplomacy is implemented mainly in ensuring effective state participation in the activities of international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Customs Organization the Bureau of International Exhibitions, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and others, as well as in multilateral summits and forums, such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, our study focuses on the implementation of commercial diplomacy at the macro and micro levels of the state. It is noted that macro-level commercial diplomacy, although it takes into account the position of national business, is mainly aimed at negotiating the principles and rules that define and regulate international trade and investment without regard to individual companies, transactions and projects. The main tools and methods of commercial diplomacy at this level are communication, including negotiation, trade defense, and support mobilization. Micro-level commercial diplomacy, in turn, provides assistance to individual companies in the development of foreign trade and investment activities, their competition for long-term contracts and target markets, including agricultural ones. At this level, the basis of the tools and methods used are information and analytical services provided directly to business entities. The study identifies the main approaches to commercial diplomacy, its methods, strategies and techniques. It is substantiated that the promotion of national economic interests of the country in general and agro-traders in particular in foreign markets and the protection of domestic markets should be carried out by means of commercial diplomacy. Protection of domestic markets through commercial diplomacy involves various strategies aimed at protecting domestic industries from foreign competition while promoting their interests in international trade.