The aim of the study is to analyze trade interactions of Northeast Asian (NEA) countries in 2014-2023. The article shows that the NEA market is one of the largest in the world, but not sufficiently integrated. The analysis revealed that NEA is experiencing processes that do not explicitly conflict with each other, but contributed to its trade fragmentation. The obtained estimates pointed to the low intensity of trade in NEA in general and the potential for expanding trade relations, which is constrained by various restrictions. At the same time, for some commodity flows (food products, chemicals, and mineral fuels) there was an increase in the intensification of trade in NEA, largely due to Russia's more active participation in trade with the countries of the sub-global region. The analysis of trade flows and assessment of trade intensity allowed the author to identify the following characteristics of trade interactions in Northeast Asia in 2014-2023: the orientation of the CJK (China, Japan and Republic of Korea) toward trade with third countries and a gradual weakening of trade interactions between them, especially between Japan and the Republic of Korea; general stagnation in trade between the CJK and insignificant interactions between the “peripheral” economies (Russia, Mongolia, and the DPRK); attraction of trade of the “peripheral” economies to China in the context of favorable bilateral political relations, the creation of exogenous barriers to interaction with developed countries for the Russian and North Korean economies, and the absence of other alternatives for the Mongolian economy. The expansion of China’s economic influence in NEA was determined, which contributed to the gradual isolation of Japan in the trade and economic processes of the sub-global region. In addition to the direct attraction of trade flows in NEA to the Chinese economy, China has begun to position herself as the most convenient participant in trade and economic interactions for all countries of the sub-global region.
