This is a "how-to", "nuts and bolts" course in international trade and investment transactions. This course looks at the basic legal steps inovlved in undertaking international trade transactions. It then proceeds to consider the step beyond trade, investment, and how it is typically conducted by companies between countries, how the transactions are structured, the potential risks that arise with them and how those risks can be overcome or managed.

Corporate and Commercial Law; Corporate, Commercial and Taxation Law; International Business and Economic Law.

None

Objectives:

A candidate who has successfully completed this subject should:
• Understand how the principal transactions of international trade and investment are structured and work in practice.
• Understand the relevant regulatory regimes governing the principal transactions of international trade and investment.
• Understand how trade transactions are financed, and risks are transferred, by documentary credits.

The skills developed in this course include:
• Conceptualisation skills regarding transaction patterns.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Oral and written communication skills (substantial class time is devoted to how to write a good research paper and the interactive seminar format and class presentation element of the assessment affords substantial opportunities to all students to participate in class and present to the class).

1. Introduction to Course

2. Basic trade contracts and the meaning of common trade terms (f.o.b., c.i.f., etc)

3. An introduction to choice of law and choice of jurisdiction in international trade contracts (no materials – simply to be discussed in class).

4. The Vienna Convention on International Sale of Goods

5. Payment systems, including documentary credits and collections

6. The Various Ways of Doing Business Abroad:

7. Termination of Sales Agents and Distributors in Civil Law jurisdication

8. Joint Ventures in China.

9. Practical Problems Protecting Intellectual Property in Developing Countries: a case study.

10. Economic, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Foreign Direct Investment.

11. Red Tape as an Obstacle to Growth in Poor Countries

12. The Effectiveness of Incentives for FDI

13. Expropriation Risk -- Role of ICSID and Bilateral Investment Treaties

14. Bribery and corruption in international business transactions.

Course materials can be purchased at the UNSW Bookshop.