MUTUAL TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AMONG VISEGRAD COUNTRIES – BASIC DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

The conducted paper is analyzing the mutual trade relations existing among V4 countries. The main aim of the paper is to identify changes in their agricultural sector which happened during the monitored time period and to compare differences existing in area of agricultural sector and trade development in the case of analyzed countries. Another aim of the paper is related to their trade relations. In this case the paper is identifying basic trends in the area of individual analyzed countries’ trade development and mutual agrarian trade competitiveness is also analyzed. The paper is analyzing agricultural sector and trade development in 2000 – 2012. The basic statistical methods are applied to analyze individual time series. The individual countries agrarian trade competitiveness analysis is realized through the Balassa and Lafay index. On the basis of the findings coming from the paper, it can be said that individual V4 countries’ agricultural production and trade changed significantly during the analyzed time period. Agricultural production and trade represent only a marginal part of the economy and the total merchandise trade. Further, in regard to the agricultural trade of the individual analyzed countries, it may be stated that the commodity structure as well as the territorial structure is very significantly concentrated. The predominant majority of agricultural trade – export as well as import – is carried out in regard to EU countries. In this case it is necessary to emphasize that individual V4 countries are important trade partners for each other. On the base of Visegrad countries’ mutual trade analysis - it is possible to say that the main traders active on V4 market are the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The most competitive actors operating in V4 market are Poland and Hungary. If we are analyzing individual countries export performance we can see that V4 market is dominated by Poland and the Czech Republic.