UNCTAD

SAVE THE DATE: Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics: Closing project meeting

This Initiative that brought together the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five UN regional commissions for Africa (ECA), Europe (ECE), Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and Western Asia (ESCWA), with funding managed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will come to an end soon in June 2022.

As such, and to review all the activities that were carried out during the project period, a virtual closing project event that will take place from 20-24 June 2022.

COVID-19 and International Sale of Goods: Contractual devices for commercial risk allocation and loss prevention


18 January 2023

The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related response measures have resulted in significant operational disruptions and delays across global networks, with important implications for the performance of international commercial contracts.

Much of global commodities' trade is conducted on international sale of goods on shipment terms, notably cost, insurance and freight (CIF) and free on board (FOB). Contractual devices for commercial risk allocation and loss prevention can play an important role in addressing the commercial law implications of the pandemic and reduce the need for costly litigation.

SAVE THE DATE: Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics: Closing project meeting

20 - 24 June 2022
Conference
Virtual

This Initiative that brought together the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five UN regional commissions for Africa (ECA), Europe (ECE), Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and Western Asia (ESCWA), with funding managed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will come to an end soon in June 2022.

Contracts for the carriage of goods by sea and multimodal transport: Key issues arising from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic


15 February 2022

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.

This report has been prepared to assist commercial parties to better understand the relevant implications and to consider potential approaches to addressing some of these. It examines some of the key legal issues arising from the pandemic as they affect contracts for the carriage of goods by sea, as well as time charterparties, and multimodal contracts of carriage that (may) involve carriage by sea.

Shipping during COVID-19: Why container freight rates have surged

When the Ever Given megaship blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for almost a week in March, it triggered a new surge in container spot freight rates, which had finally started to settle from the all-time highs reached during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shipping rates are a major component of trade costs, so the new hike poses an additional challenge to the world economy as it struggles to recover from the worst global crisis since the Great Depression.

COVID-19 cuts global maritime trade, transforms industry

Global maritime trade will plunge by 4.1% in 2020 due to the unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19, UNCTAD estimates in its Review of Maritime Transport 2020, released on 12 November.

The report warns that new waves of the pandemic that further disrupt supply chains and economies might cause a steeper decline. The pandemic has sent shockwaves through supply chains, shipping networks and ports, leading to plummeting cargo volumes and foiling growth prospects, it says.

COVID-19 implications for commercial contracts: International sale of goods on CIF and FOB terms


05 March 2021

The ability to trade globally, through a seamless logistic network, moving goods across international boundaries, integrating engineering and technology from different parts of the world has been a fundamental element of the globalized trading system. Raw commodities travelling from one part of the world to be converted into plastic or metal components only to be shipped again to be manufactured and then again for assembling and distribution is something which traders and consumers alike take for granted.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has and still is interfering heavily with international trade, creating inefficiencies, delays and supply-chain disruptions on an unprecedented scale.

COVID-19 implications for commercial contracts: Carriage of goods by sea and related cargo claims


05 March 2021

The smooth flow of international trade depends entirely on the transport chain: adequate and timely supplies to manufacturers and efficient capillary distribution chains are essential ingredients of any successful business model.

The recent and ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, together with the measures many countries are adopting to bring the pandemic under control, are creating significant impediments to transport systems and supply chains which are facing unprecedented challenges on a global scale.

This challenge hits the global trading system at a juncture in which efficiency is imperative and movement of goods and provision of services on a “just-in-time” basis are the cornerstones of success for public and private service providers alike.

COVID-19: A 10-point action plan to strengthen international trade and transport facilitation in times of pandemic - UNCTAD Policy Brief No. 79


23 April 2020

Facilitating trade and the transport of goods has become more important than ever, to avoid logistics obstacles that lead to shortages of necessary supplies.

 

 

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is substantially impacting people’s lives and livelihoods and putting extreme stress on socioeconomic systems.

International collaboration, coordination and solidarity among all is going to be key to overcoming this unprecedented global challenge.

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