Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for commercial contracts covering the transportation of goods in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond
With a view to increase awareness of Government officials and transport operators in Asia and the Pacific region on the ways of addressing some of the key legal implications of COVID-19 for commercial contracts covering transport of goods and to assist shippers and consignees, particularly in developing countries in addressing some of the key commercial law implications of the COVID-19 crisis, the UNESCAP secretariat conducted research and preliminary analysis of the challenges arising from the COVID-19 crisis affecting international commercial contracts, including contracts on international carriage of goods by various modes of transport, focusing particularly on land and multimodal transport.
(EN&RU) Guide to the Implementation of Art. 1 para. 3 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Trade Facilitation Enquiry Points
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force on 22 February 2017. The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) defines trade facilitation as “the simplification, harmonization and standardization of the procedures and associated information flows required to move goods and provide related services from seller to buyer such as payments”1. Trade facilitation can help simplify, standardize, harmonize, and modernize international cross-border trade, thereby increasing trade volumes and making international trade faster and cheaper, as well as more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and landlocked developing countries. Trade and trade facilitation have the potential to contribute to resilient, inclusive and sustainable recovery after the pandemic.
According to Art.1 of the TFA, WTO members shall promptly publish information related to international trade to enable WTO members (and all interested parties, accordingly) to acquaint each other with their trade rules and ensure transparent and predictable conditions of international trade. WTO members are also encouraged to make available further trade-related information on the Internet and to establish or maintain enquiry points. In compliance with TFA Art. 1.3 these enquiry points should provide the necessary information.
Contracts for the carriage of goods by sea and multimodal transport: Key issues arising from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared by the WHO on 11 March 2020, and in response to the emergence of new variants, countries have imposed, eased and re-imposed various restrictions on daily life, including for the entry and exit in ports. This has resulted in disruption and delay, with implications for the performance of commercial contracts for the carriage of goods.