International Trade Law: Web Resources

Documents Online provides access to the official documentation of the WTO. The database contains over 140,000 documents in the WTO's three official languages (English, French, and Spanish) from 1995 onwards and is updated daily. All WTO documents are posted in PDF and MS Word format. The application provides a descriptive catalogue record for every document stored in the archive. There are multiple ways to search this database, including by subject. Go to the top or bottom of the web page to access the various search mechanisms.

This site, developed and maintained by the Stanford University Libraries, offers access to documents related to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which promoted international commerce and the reduction of trade barriers among member states between 1947 and 1994.

This is a large collection of English-language overviews of conducting business in various foreign jurisdictions. The authors are members of Lex Mundi, a global organization of attorneys representing over 100 countries. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Honduras are some of the Latin American countries featured in the collection.

The TransLex-Principles are a systematic online collection of principles and rules of transnational commercial law. The website also includes an extensive bibliography on issues related to international trade and commercial practice.

This is an extensive online tool developed and maintained by UNCTAD. The database includes country-specific information on investment polices, laws, and investment agreements. The site also actively posts news items related to the global investment arena.

According to the website, WorldTradeLaw.net "offers a free library of current trade news and resources, as well as a subscription service (the DSC Service), which provides summary and analysis of all WTO reports and arbitrations; a current keyword index; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a user-friendly search tool for WTO cases, legal texts, and other documents."

This page provides access to current "Doing Business" English-language guides for over 180 countries, based on annual World Bank surveys. Each guide provides detailed information on starting a business, dealing with permits, hiring workers, etc., in the specific locale.

The World Customs Organization "develops international standards, fosters cooperation and builds capacity to facilitate legitimate trade, to secure a fair revenue collection and to protect society, providing leadership, guidance and support to Customs administrations." A number of WCO publications and reports are available, including the WCOnews magazine (under "Media").

Several non-profit regional legal information initiatives created and now maintain World LII. The site offers legal subject-based links for individual countries. Click on "All Countries" for an alphabetical list.

According to its website, "The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the official export credit agency of the United States. EXIM is an independent Executive Branch agency with a mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services."

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is responsible "for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries." The head of USTR is the U.S. Trade Representative, a Cabinet member who serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues. As such, the USTR is part of the executive branch.

The U.S. Commercial Service (CS) is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. It offers companies a full range of expertise in international trade. Companies can find assistance locally in more than 100 U.S. Commercial Service offices nationwide and in more than 70 international offices.

Seated in New York City, the U.S. Court of International Trade "established under Article III of the Constitution, has nationwide jurisdiction over civil actions arising out of the customs and international trade laws of the United States."

The International Trade Administration (ITA) is led by the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. According to the ITA's website, its purpose is to "create prosperity by strengthening the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements." The website provides access to information for U.S. and international businesses, and it also includes a robust online "Research Center."

The USITC is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that fulfills a range of trade-related mandates. It provides analysis of international trade issues to the President and U.S. Congress, and it is a "highly regarded forum" for the adjudication of intellectual property and trade disputes.