Trade Law

Produced by Warner Norcross & Judd LPP, this globalEDGE exclusive provides a thorough yet concise synopsis of major issues related to international trade law. Subjects covered include: exporting, importing, contracts for the sale or purchase of goods, joint ventures and direct investment, and a special section entitled "traps for the unwary". 

The Trade Law Compendium, produced by the member law firms of Lexwork International, provides trade law summaries for over 30 jurisdictions prepared by law firms located there. It also includes the U.S.'s most significant trading partners for companies intending to do business in foreign countries and some U.S. states. Summaries are listed below with the marking "a Lexwork International exclusive".

The Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL) was founded in 1972 and promotes the study and analysis of international legal issues by university scholars, government lawyers, practitioners, and students. While some material is accessible only to members, the site provides information for all users on upcoming events and conferences, relevant news, and partnerships.

The Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection (A-CAPP) is an academic body focused on the global issue of anti-counterfeiting and product protection. The site includes the organization's current research initiatives, counterfeiting-related webinars and presentations, and an A-CAPP paper series.

This site contains information about trade and business in Asia - specifically in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Resources include write-ups on import and export regulations, intellectual property rights, and information on how to establish small businesses in Asia.

CMS is a comprehensive law site with resources on a broad array of areas of law, with a specialization in tax and European Union laws. The website provides publications, events, and a news section for various areas of business law, from banking & finance regulations to dispute resolution to tax law and many other areas in a categorized manner. A number of online services including e-guides, Law-Now, RegZone, and webinars are available for those wishing to become more educated in regards to trade law. 

CUSTOMS Info offers free access to global tariff information for shipments entering foreign countries. The ECCN finder helps exporters find items that have been flagged by the United States government for export control. Additional export requirements, restrictions, and reference data are also provided. A free registration is required to view the tariff information.

This is the official site for the Czech Republic for the disclosure of information on public contracts that have been awarded. The site allows users to search for the awarded contracts by various parameters, such as by name, registration number, or sponsor. This site is available in Czech only.

The Estonian Tax and Customs Board deals with customs duties, protection of economic activities, implementation of national tax and customs policies, ensuring compliance of trade and customs legislation, and providing customer services for the fulfillment of tax liabilities. Specific information is provided on taxes, customs, and Estonian legislation.

This site provides comprehensive legal information on international trade. Cases and codes, legal news, search utilities, and a message board are some of the many features of this site. There is also a wealth of information to be found on topics other than international trade. This is a useful resource for legal professionals, corporate counsel, law students, businesses, and consumers.

HG Legal Resources is a comprehensive law site with resources for all areas of law, many referring to international trade law. The site provides links to relevant information and third party sites in a categorized manner. The current link will take you directly to the "Trade Regulation Law" category. The page contains information regarding trade law in both the U.S. and internationally, and also provides lists with links to trade regulation law organizations, publications, and recent related articles.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an assembly of business executives of intergovernmental organizations. ICC activities cover a broad spectrum, from arbitration and dispute resolution to making the case for open trade and the market economy system, business self-regulation, fighting corruption, or combating commercial crime. This site features a comprehensive listing of business topics, publications, current news listings, and business policies. The site also has upcoming training, events, and conferences.

The International Trade Compliance Institute (ITCI) is a grant-funded initiative of the El Camino College Center for International Trade Development in Hawthorne, California. The site provides advice, information, training, and assistance on aspects of international trade regulations and compliance. Also available is a trade information database which contains over 900 links to trade-related information and a regulatory database with hundreds of regulatory terms/acronyms, laws/regulations, treaties/agreements, documents, and regulatory bodies.

LegaCarta is an online database showing ratification and adherence to major treaties, trade-related legal instruments, and trade agreements by country. This site also features a map created using Macromedia Flash technology to provide the information interactively. Recent ratifications and accessions are listed on the homepage along with external links to various international rule-making organizations. Free registration is required to access some features of the site.

Wex is a legal dictionary and encyclopedia containing federal and international material as well as other resources for those looking for information on international trade law. This legal encyclopedia allows users to search for laws relating to international trade or other legal topics. Wex is sponsored and hosted by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School.

Lex Africa is a network of law firms in Africa. This site features a news page as well as guides on doing business, insolvency and restructuring, and mining in Africa. The business guide features investment information, forms of business organizations, taxation, exchange control, tariffs, intellectual property issues, and privatization issues for all of the member countries of Lex Africa. Individual country profiles are also available. Guides are free to download in PDF.

The Revised Guide to International Trade Law provides a wide range of links and resources dealing with trade and trade law. The information provided covers many subjects such as research guides to international law, international trade organizations, and comments and analysis on trade law. Guides on international trade agreements, links to country guides, and a list of statistical resources are also provided on the site.

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) provides useful information and resources on intellectual property (IP) laws in Singapore. This website offers services such as patent agents that assist clients in protecting intellectual properties and rights. An annual report and resources pertaining to free trade agreements between Singapore and its partners are available.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry offers information on the laws and regulations on the free trade agreements of Singapore. Resources on agreements such as USSFTA (United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement) and JSEPA (Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement) are available throughout the site. The site also provides the history and rules of origin pertaining to these free trade agreements

The Legal 500 hosts articles containing information on new legislation, developments, and cases in specialist practice areas. All articles are written by specialists in their field. The site also features recent legal news and a search service. Includes directory of lawyers and law firms.

Trade.gov contains information about the CE (Conformite Europeenne) Marking and a list of countries within the European Union that require the mark. The website has various tools, including guides, labs, and procedures. This resource combines all of the CE Marking information in one place.

Maintained by the Center for International Law of the University of Cologne in Germany, Trans-Lex is a free research and codification platform for transnational law. Users can find research in legal areas such as international trade, anti-trust, intellectual property, electronic commerce, and others.

Hamel-Smith is a law firm in Trinidad and Tobago that serves both local and international companies doing business in the country. The site provides an overview of the country's business environment as well as legal and regulatory framework for investment. The site also offers facts and profiles on key industries, information on intellectual property, taxation issues, and a special report on the energy sector.

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which is the core body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law, provides information on the commission itself and its operations. The site contains preparatory documents, case law, conventions, model laws, and other texts.

The Pace University School of Law explains the purpose, the context, and the applications of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). On this site, there is an annotated table of contents on the CISG, the annotated text of the CISG, cases on the CISG, and guides on applying the convention for managers. These features can be accessed by searching through the CISG database available on the site. 

The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security provides downloadable files regarding information on the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These files are broken down by specific exporting categories and products in the United States. Access to the official Export Administration Regulations can also be obtained on this site. In addition, the site offers comprehensive information about other regulations, licensing, enforcement, compliance and training, and policy guidance.

Notify U.S. is a free, web-based e-mail registration service that offers U.S. citizens, industries, and organizations an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect their businesses and their access to international markets. It is run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The site's purpose is to provide users with updates on World Trade Organization agreements relating to technical barriers to trade. Users must register with the site and be either a U.S. citizen or part of a U.S. organization or industry.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) provides useful resources on emerging issues regarding intellectual property (IP), various regulations on trademarks and patents, copyright and related rights, and a searchable database of IP data. WIPO also provides downloadable handbooks relating to IP policy, law, and use.

Managed by a small private consulting company, WorldTradeLaw.net publishes information and research about the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international trade laws. A comprehensive list of external resources categorized by region and topic is also provided. The site also offers trade news, WTO cases and legal texts, and a free resource library.