International Trade

Vocabulary

• Duties• Quotas• Tariffs• Trade Barriers • Dumping• Anti-Dumping• Countervailing Duties• Most Favored Nation• Trade Dress Law• INCOTERMS

Online Dictionary of Trade Terms

http://www.citd.org/trade_info/sections.cfm?sid=5

Research Guides

http://www.asil.org/resource/iel1.htm http://www.llrx.com/features/trade3.htm

Hypothetical – You Represent a U.S. Company Who Wantsto Export Wooden Bedroom Furniture to Germany

Introductory Guides (US Perspective)

http://www.unzco.com/basicguide/index.html http://www.sba.gov/oit/info/Guide-To-Exporting/all.html

STAT USA – GLOBUS & NTDBGerman Furniture Market

Industry Sector Analysis Reports by Country > Germany > Furniture http://www.stat-usa.gov/mrd.nsf/vwISA_Country/B49760A5437E6D5B85256F83002C48DB?OpenDocument&sessID=60AB02C10315341

Export.govTrade Data > 10 digit > 940350

http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/index.html

International Addresses and Salutations

http://www.bspage.com/address.html

Business Culture Guides

http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/germany.htm

http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-etiquette/Germany.html

Doing Business in _______

http://www.hg.org/guides.html

Country Commercial Guides

http://www.buyusainfo.net/adsearch.cfm?search_type=int&loadnav=no

Significant U.S.Trade Laws

• Tariff Act of 1930 (Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act)

Material on AD/CVD

• Federal Procedure: Lawyer’s Edition –

• OCU Reference • Westlaw (FEDPROC)

37:644

http://www.usitc.gov/ An anti-dumping countervailing duty handbook, guidelines for hearings, timetables for investigations and administrative orders issues in AD/CVD cases is accessible from

the website.

Significant U.S.Trade Laws

• Tariff Act of 1930 (Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act)

• Trade Act of 1974• 1979 Acts• Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness

Act of 1988 • Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset

Act of 2000 (Byrd Amendment )

Important Governmental Organs

• Congress

• Executive– Department of Commerce

• International Trade Administration

Export.gov

Determining Tariffs and Taxes

http://www.trade.gov/td/tic/

Browse the HTS (Schedule B)

940350 Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom

Step 2: Determine Country Tariff Info and Tax Info

Notice that Germany also uses the HTS so furniture is easily found under chapter 94.

EU Import Duties ? Taxes?

No duties but a 16% VAT

Importing into the US

Importing into the US

Important Governmental Organs

• Congress

• Executive– Department of Commerce

• International Trade Administration

– Treasury > Customs (freight forwarder)– International Trade Commission– United States Trade Representative

US Customs

http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/ - CROSS Database of customs rulings

International Trade Commission

http://www.usitc.gov/

US Trade Representative

http://www.ustr.gov/ Lists trade agreements the US is a party to. Dispute Settlement section give summary of pending actions. Publishes: Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report of the President of the United States.

What if there is a dispute?

• Arbitration

• Administrative Agencies– Customs http://rulings.customs.gov/ – International Trade Commission

• Federal Procedure 37:644

• Court of International Trade

• Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Research Strategy – US Trade Law

• ID Relevant Statutes (use annotations)• ID Relevant Agencies

– Use Agency Website– Federal Procedure Lawyer’s Edition

• Be aware of US’s International Obligations– USTR’s Report (http://www.ustr.gov/)

• Case Law (admin agencies & specialized cts.)

• Secondary Sources (Restatement)• Current Events

Documentary Sales Transaction

Image from International Business Transactions In a Nutshell, pp. 128.

CISG - Contracting States

http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/cisgintro.html

Interpreting the CISG – Article 7(1)

• 7(1) In the interpretation of this convention, regard is to be had to its international character and to the need to promote uniformity in its application and the observance of good faith in international trade.

Suggested Methodology for Interpreting the CISG

• Text of the CISG

• Travaux

• Comparative Law to see the meaning of a term in the Contracting States

• Do not use normal means of interpreting international treaties

Schlechtreim Treatise pp. 62-65.

• 7(2) Questions concerning matters governed by this Convention which are not expressly settled in it are to be settled in conformity with the general principles on which it is based or, in the absence of such principles, in conformity with the law applicable by virtue of the rules of private international law.

Interpreting the CISG – Article 7(2)Gap Filling

7(2) Gap Filling

• General Principles – As defined by Kritzer (pp. 114-119)

– UNIDROIT’s Uniform Law on the International Sale of Goods

– UNIDROIT’s Principles of International Commercial Contracts

7(2) Gap Filling

• Rules of Private International Law?

CISG Research Strategy

• Kritzer, Guide to Practical Application of the CISG.

• Schlechtriem, Commentary on the UN Convention

• Travaux

• Cases – Pace and CLOUT Databases

Pace’s CISG Database

http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/

UNIDROIT

http://www.unidroit.org/english/home.htm

UNICTRAL

http://www.uncitral.org/en-index.htm

INCOTERMS

http://www.iccwbo.org/index_incoterms.asp

2) Bill of Lading

Federal Bill of Lading Act, 49 U.S.C.A. § 80101-80116 (governs transferability)Harter Act, 46 U.S.C.A. § 190-196 (governs form and content)Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 46 U.S.C.A. § 1300-1315 (governs form and content)

3) Letter of Credit

Governed by: -UCC Article 5-International Chamber Commerce’s Uniform Customs and Practices forDocumentary Credits (UCP)

Other Shipping DocumentsCertificate of Origin

• Commercial Invoice

• Policy of Marine Insurance

• Certificate of Inspection

• Import License

• Certificate of Origin

• OUR FREIGHT BROKER WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THIS!

WTO

http://www.wto.org/

NAFTA

http://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/DefaultSite/index_e.aspx

The End

Images of shipping documents

• http://www.unzco.com/basicguide/c10.html#Documentation

EAR Part 774

Will we need an export license ?

http://www.bxa.doc.gov/licensing/ExportingBasics.htm

General Economic DataCIA World Factbook

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/