Syllabus
This is an outline synopsis. More detailed notes will be made available to you during the course.

1. Introduction

Public and private systems distinguished
Rationale for international business
Difficulties in doing international business
Differences in legal systems
International institutions and international business

2. International sale of goods: the contract of sale

Sale of Goods Act 1979
International harmonisation: Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods

3. Construction of international sales contracts

ICC
Incoterms 1990
CIF contracts
FOB contracts
Charterparties
Bills of lading - characteristics and classification
Electronic date interchange
CMI rules on electronic bills of lading

4. International carriage of goods

Carriage by land
Carriage by air
Carriage by sea - methods of performance - rights of suit - Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971 and the Hague-Visby
Rules - Hamburg Rules - Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992
Multimodal transport

5. Financing of international trade

International legal framework
Documentary credits
Bills of exchange

6. Dispute settlement

Negotiation and mediation
Litigation
Arbitration: Arbitration Act 1996

7. Conflict of laws

Jurisdiction at common law
Jurisdiction: Brussels and Lugano Conventions
Basic terms in conflict of laws
Bills of exchange

Objectives
The purpose of the course is to enable you to acquire an understanding of the legal foundations underpinning a deal for the
international sale of goods: how to decide which law is applicable, how to assess the rights and duties of each party, how the
goods are to be transported and paid for, what to do when there is a problem.

Aims of the module
The law of International Trade plays a fundamental role in facilitating international commerce. In the era of globalisation its
significance is only increasing. There are two aspects of international trade: first, the international trading system, dealing with
GATT, the WTO and the basic rules governing the behaviour of States in international commerce; second - and this is what
this course is about - the law relating to the behaviour of commercial entities when actually trading internationally. In other
words, the course deals with the rules relating to international contracts, the regulation of the various modes of transport, and
the settlement of disputes involving traders in two or more countries.