Global trade governance

This unit provides an introduction to the rules and practices that regulate international trade and commerce. Turning first to the way in which trade between nation states is regulated, the unit introduces the World Trade Organisation and the key disciplines of international trade law before considering the contribution that the ever-increasing number of regional and bilateral trade agreements make to trade regulation. In this part of the unit, you will critically examine the ways in which nation states make trade rules through trade negotiations and the interplay between these rules and the goals of development and domestic regulation of health and environmental risks.

The unit then moves to introduce the framework of laws that apply when business professionals trade goods internationally. Using examples of the contracts, documents and processes involved in the international sale and transport of goods, you will develop an understanding of the principal rights and obligations of the parties and available remedies for the purpose of ensuring that traders are aware of, and can avoid, the legal risks and disputes that can arise in international commerce.