The distinguished feature of Russian foreign trade is the high level of unorganized trade (shuttle increase of GDP per head, the total productivity growth in GDP, the rate of commodity export growth, the share in the world export, and the commodity export share in GDP in Russia (Tab.3). The existence of the long duration unbalanced economy, the deformation of price mechanism, the discrepancy of the real sector needs and the volume of borrowing sources, the low rate of the real capital accumulation, and undeveloped financial-credit sphere prevent the progress of market economy development in Russia.

trade), which makes up 21 % of import and 1.5% of export, barter trade (KOSTUNINA, 2001).The main causes of small share of machines and equipment in the total volume of the export are the reduction of the production, low competitiveness of output, the backwardness of production base, the long terms of learning to handle new machinery, the infringement of cooperation ties of former Soviet Union. The coefficient of export specialization shows the ratio of branch share in the commodity structure of export to its share in the industrial production structure. When this coefficient exceeds 1, it means there are existed competitive advantages in the country. The coefficient of export specialization of fuel industry equals 2.6, metallurgy - 1.4, chemical industry - 1.15, timber and cellulose paper industry - 1.05, light industry - 0.7, machinery and metal processing - 0.55 in Russia in 1998 - 2000 (SPARTAK A.N., 2002). The light industry, machinery, and metal processing have low coefficient of export specialization. There are competitive branches of high technologies, which include optic

The adoption of stimulating export program is a key item of the foreign trade policy in Russia. The development of export specialization of competitive branches, trade diversification, and acceleration of the integration into the world trade system would provide the expansion and strengthening country foreign trade positions in the world markets.

3.Geographical patterns and terms of foreign trade

The share of the European Union countries trade makes up 36.9 % in the total volume of Russian trade turnover. The NIS share equals 18 % in the country structure of Russian foreign trade, countries of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Group (PECG) - 16.3 %, Central and East European countries - 13.7 %. The rate of Russian net export growth to the non-NIS exceeds the share of net export growth to the NIS. The main Russian trade partners are the non-NIS, which share equals 82 % in the total volume of trade turnover, including export - 86 %, import - 73 % in 2001 (Fig. 4).

Federal Republic of Germany is the main Russian trade partner. Germany's share in Russian trade turnover equals $14.9 billion, Italy - $9.1 billion, the USA makes up $ 7.3 billion, China - $ 7.3 billion, Netherlands - $ 5.9 billion, Great Britain - $ 5.3 billion, Poland - $ 5.1 billion, Finland - $ 4.4 billion, Turkey - $ 3.8 billion, France - $ 3.7, Japan - $ 3.6 billion.

electronics, telecommunication equipment, new materials, optic devices, and program software.

The development of services (including telecommunication, finance, transport and etc.) influences the competitiveness of the country. Russia's export and import of services don't make significant magnitude in the world trade of services. Russia takes 24 place in the world export of services and has 21 place in the world import of services. The modern rise of the internet trade affects its use in Russia. Growth of the internet trade provides the increase of the velocity of transactions, the reduction of intermediate costs, and stimulates the creation of new distribute networks. The commodity structure of the national export is considered the barrier for internet spreading. The total value of concluded transactions exceeds $ 26.9 billion in Russia in 2000 (ZAHAROV, 2000). The shares of export indexes to GDP demonstrates the interdependence of the export and GDP values (Tab. 4).

The shares of Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan are estimated the biggest in Russian turnover with the NIS. The commodity structure is characterized the predominance of petroleum products, chemical products. The share of ferrous and unferrous metals is decreased.

The tariff regulation is considered one of the debatable questions. Some economists substantiate the necessity of tariff indication of services of natural monopolies. The opponents argue this approach, and consider that the abrupt rise of tariffs of natural monopolies could aggravate the perspectives of economic development. The tariff influences the inflation rise (SHARONOV, 2002). The general principal of tariff regulation should be the establishment of the different duties. Technology, equipment should have low duties, raw materials, half finished products - high duties, and finished products - the highest duties (MOVSESYAN, 2001). The petroleum and energy tariffs should be