CURRENT FACTORS INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF COMPETITIVE POLICY OF WOODWORKING INDUSTRY

<jats:p>The purpose of this article is to summarize the types of competitive strategies employed by exporters of wood products and to identify their key competitive advantages, which ensure that the demands of the modern foreign market are met. The article assesses the significant role of the woodworking industry in shaping Ukraine’s export potential. An analysis of the export structure identified the main product groups that dominate the export mix. An assessment of value added in the production of the export product range for wood products revealed that products with high value added account for the largest share. It is summarized that a company’s competitive policy is based on a set of competitive advantages that create essential and additional characteristics of a product’s attractiveness in the foreign market. The set of a company’s competitive advantages is summarized, including: product, financial, marketing, operational, and managerial advantages. The components of modern product advantages have been systematized; these include: quality, environmental friendliness and traceability of origin, durability, aesthetics, and uniqueness. A brief description is provided of the main technological solutions that enhance product quality and durability. An analysis of international and European requirements for the environmental sustainability of wood and wood products is conducted. The impact of the latest EU requirements regarding the verification of wood origin on changes in the competitive advantages of Ukrainian exporters in foreign markets is summarized. This paper presents findings regarding changes in consumer attitudes toward the environmental sustainability of products and trends in demand for them. It assesses the role of the woodworking industry in adhering to the principles of sustainable development with regard to CO₂ emissions and their impact on the development of competitive advantages. Based on the identification of a set of competitive advantages possessed by the exporter, the types of competitive strategies in the foreign market are summarized. The basis of each of the proposed types is a specific competitive priority—a unique condition that opens up opportunities for the company to operate in a specific segment of the foreign market.</jats:p>