Impact of access to the European Customs Union on the foreign trade exchange of the Republic of Croatia

Vanjska trgovina predstavlja gospodarsku djelatnost koja se bavi razmjenom robe i usluga s inozemstvom. Glavna podjela vanjskotrgovinske razmjene je prema užem i širem smislu trgovanja. Uži smisao podjele vanjskotrgovinske razmjene odnosi se na razmjenu robom između gospodarskih subjekata koji djeluju iz različitih država. Uz međunarodnu robnu razmjenu, širi smisao vanjskog trgovanja obuhvaća i promet ljudi (npr. promet turista ili putovanja radi poslovnih sastanaka), promet kapitala (npr. novac), prijenos informacija (telekomunikacije), te razmjena gospodarskih usluga koja se još naziva i nevidljivim uvozom i izvozom. Najčešći predmeti razmjene su proizvodi široke potrošnje poput hrane te kapitalna dobra poput strojeva i sirovina. Slobodan protok dobara, usluga i ljudi svjetsku proizvodnju svodi na njen maksimum, te istodobno donosi korist svim državama. Svaka država koja je dio trgovinske razmjene nameće svoja ograničenja i uvjete. Nametnuti uvjeti i ograničenja štete slobodnom protoku međunarodne trgovine. Glavna podjela instrumenata trgovinske politike je na carinske i necarinske instrumente zaštite u trgovini. Sloboda tokova međunarodne ekonomske razmjene ograničava se raznim ekonomskim politikama koje djeluju kroz razne mehanizme. Na trgovinsku razmjenu RH znatno je utjecao ulazak u punopravno članstvo EU 2013. godine. Ulaskom u EU, Hrvatska postaje dio carinske unije i time joj se otvaraju brojne pogodnosti poput ukidanja naplate carina unutar carinske unije. Nakon ulaska u punopravno članstvo EU, RH bilježi porast vanjskotrgovinske trgovinske razmjene, osim iznimno 2019. godine radi nastanka COVID-19 krize koja je negativno utjecala na cjelokupno svjetsko gospodarstvo.Foreign trade is an economic activity that deals with the exchange of goods and services abroad. The main division of foreign trade exchange is according to the narrower and broader sense of trading. The narrower meaning of the division of foreign trade exchange refers to the exchange of goods between economic entities operating from different countries. In addition to the international exchange of goods, the broader meaning of foreign trade includes the traffic of people (for example traffic of tourists or travel for business meetings), traffic of capital (for example money), transfer of information (telecommunications), and the exchange of economic services, which is also called invisible imports and export. The most common objects of exchange are consumer products such as food and capital goods such as machinery and raw materials. The free flow of goods, services and people reduces world production to its maximum, and at the same time brings benefits to all countries. Each country that is part of the trade exchange imposes its own restrictions and conditions. Imposed conditions and restrictions harm the free flow of international trade. The main division of trade policy instruments is into tariff and non-tariff trade protection instruments. The freedom of flows of international economic exchange is limited by various economic policies that operate through various mechanisms. The trade exchange of the Republic of Croatia was significantly affected by the entry into full membership of the EU in 2013. By joining the EU, Croatia becomes part of the customs union and thus opens up numerous benefits, such as the abolition of customs duties within the customs union. After joining the full membership of the EU, the Republic of Croatia recorded an increase in foreign trade, except exceptionally in 2019 due to the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis, which had a negative impact on the entire world economy