This article examines the export potential in the foreign economic activity of the Belgorod region in the conditions of instability of the political and economic situation in the world. To this end, the main indicators of the region's foreign trade in 2013-2020 were studied, on the basis of which it is supposed to focus on the export flows of the Belgorod region, which reflect the region's production specialization, stimulate economic growth, ensure the inflow of foreign capital and contribute to the filling of the budget. The production specialization and competitive advantages of the region are also investigated, the main export flows and foreign economic relations of the Belgorod region in 2020 are considered. The share of exports of goods to non-CIS countries is so large, since they are the main buyers of huge volumes of high-quality metals and mineral products, which their countries are not rich in. However, there is a reorientation of the main directions of sales of goods of the Belgorod region. The southern state, with which half of the territory of the region borders, remains a fairly large importer of goods to the region. The analysis revealed the main trends in the development of the region's economy, identified the problems faced by exporting enterprises, and suggested areas for their solutions. Among the main problems, the following can be distinguished: the Belgorod region is almost entirely raw materials, therefore, the amount of money income of exporters depends on the volatility of prices on commodity markets, high production leads to depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and does not provide trade security in the future; a high degree of wear of equipment that has been functioning since Soviet times; the export policy of the Belgorod region is influenced by the unfavorable political situation in the world, which is expressed in the form of sanctions against Russia. To solve the presented problems, it is proposed that exporting enterprises pursue a broad investment policy, upgrade production facilities, introduce modern technologies, im prove marketing strategy and improve product quality, and it is also necessary to develop existing measures of preferential lending, subsidies and state guarantees for exporters, possible tax regulation of the export structure of the region in the case of the application of differentiated rates of customs duties for non-primary and raw materials in order to limit the export of the latter.