The article describes the directions of the external economic activity of the sub national governments in a number of states. Such an activity includes the development of the trade and investment policy as well as foreign economic relations. We discuss coordination of the trade policy between national and regional levels and its implementation by the territorial units. We also describe the way of regional government’s participation in the foreign economic activity. We conclude that the regional government’s international activity hardly undermine international obligations of the Russian Federation. Experience of other countries is useful for the regional governments of the Russian Federation.