International Trade Law

This book covers the fundamentals of international trade law. In this respect, each key pillar of the discipline is unpacked in 10 self-contained chapters that will help readers understand and navigate the legal aspects of international trade and guide them through the aims and historical development of both intergovernmental and private systems of cross-border trading rules and institutions.

The first half of the book focuses on the framework provided to the international trading system by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In particular, the first five chapters discuss the public international law dimension of the trading system, namely the exchange of goods, services and intellectual property rights, as well as competition remedies and foreign investment measures.

The second half of the book expands on the legal ramifications of private actions in the international trading system. Chapters 6 to 9 cover the contractual aspects of sales, transportation, payments and disputes settlement of the private international law dimension. The final chapter then critically evaluates the whole discipline on which aspects of the international trading system should the principles of justice regulate or otherwise.

Every chapter includes an appendix with workshop activities. These range from general discussion points to legal problem-solving exercises based on real case notes and fictional scenarios, which are crucial to bridge the gap from theory to practice in the understanding of international trade law.