The Substantive Definition of the Efficiency of Export-Import Activities in Ukraine

The aim of the article is to study the efficiency of export-import activities, which is particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing war and economic instability in Ukraine, as its improvement contributes to the adaptation of enterprises to changes in the foreign economic environment, strengthening competitiveness in international markets, and creating conditions for the further post-war recovery of the country. The article conducts a critical analysis of domestic and foreign conceptions of the efficiency of an enterprise’s activities, particularly the efficiency of export-import activities. A substantive model of the efficiency of export-import activities of enterprises in Ukraine is substantiated in the form of a diagram that describes such interrelated structural elements as strategizing, functions and management methods, the use of export-import potential, criteria and a system of indicators, a positive balance, as well as influencing factors and managerial decisions. An author’s own modern theoretical definition of the efficiency of an enterprise’s export-import activities is proposed as a characteristic of enterprises, expressed in achieving optimal economic results, that is, maximizing the positive balance from export-import operations while minimizing costs through the full utilization of existing export-import potential. The main macroeconomic factors influencing the volume of industrial production sold as one of the indicators of enterprise efficiency in Ukraine are generalized. To identify the macroeconomic factors affecting the indicators of the efficiency of entrepreneurial activities in Ukraine, a factor analysis was conducted, and a multifactor regression model has been built to determine the dependence of the volume of production sold in Ukraine on latent factors. It is found that the most significant impact comes from indicators such as Ukraine’s external debt, unemployment rate, economic freedom index, and the volume of goods imported. The use of the obtained results is recommended as a basis for forming rational managerial decisions aimed at enhancing the efficiency of enterprises’ export-import activities.