International Trade

Crossroads of Global Trade

International trade and cross-border investment have powered the growth of the modern global economy. Multinational companies, trading firms and businesses carrying on international trade will have to navigate a complex web of cross-border regulations, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, that are shaped by geopolitical developments and national interests.

Strategic approach to International Commerce

Our International Trade Practice adopts a multi-practice, multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary approach to help our clients harness the full potential of international trade. We draw on the deep domain knowledge of specialist lawyers, professional economists, the full regional capabilities of A&G Asia comprising over 650 lawyers in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, China, and Indonesia, best-in-class friends who are experts on foreign laws and regulations, and an intimate understanding of government policy. Our expertise includes helping clients overcome challenges and restrictions on international trade and cross-border investment, and working on complex contentious and non-contentious matters that span multiple jurisdictions.

• International Trade Disputes

Our team regularly represents clients in civil and criminal litigation, domestic and international arbitration and commercial mediation involving a wide variety of commodities as well as specialised goods. Our lawyers are familiar with arbitration conducted under the auspices of various institutions including the ICC, SIAC, SCMA, LCIA, LMAA and various trade bodies such as GAFTA, FOSFA and PORAM.

On the enforcement front, our team advises clients on customs offences and guides them through various options and solutions including voluntary disclosure, mitigation and remedial actions to prevent recurrence. We also assist with local and foreign investigations, import certification, delivery verification and end-use checks (EUC).

• Trade Documentation

Our lawyers advise on a wide variety of trade related transactions and documentations, including the drafting and reviewing of documents and agreements relating to sale and purchase, repurchase (repo), financing, transportation, hedging, insurance, storage and warehousing.

Our capabilities include advising on various international treaties and industry rules such as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), the International Chamber of Commerce International (ICC) INCOTERMS, ICC Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 600), the Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees (URDG), the International Standby Practices 1998 (ISP98) for Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC), and the ICC Uniform Rules for Collections (URC 522).

We also advise on electronic trade documents including electronic bills of lading and electronic bills of exchange under the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Act 2021 which gave effect to the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR).

• Trade Finance

Our experience covers advising on various banking and trade finance related structures and documents including letters of credit, bills of exchange, promissory notes, trust receipts, bills of lading, warehouse receipts and warrants. We also advise on trade finance transactions including receivables financing, documentary collection and investments in base metals and precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) as well as related security documents including pledges, charges and guarantees.

• Trade Regulations, Compliance and International Trade Agreements

We help companies navigate rules and regulations involving commodity licensing, cross-border payments, foreign exchange controls, trade and economic sanctions, export control, strategic goods control and the import and export of controlled goods.

We are familiar with free trade agreements, tariffs, preferential certificates of origin, rules of origin, customs valuation, customs and excise duties and goods and services tax. We advise on matters relating to Singapore’s free trade zones, the transit and transhipment of goods as well as various schemes operated by Singapore Customs and the Inland Revenue Authority such as the Major Exporter Scheme (MES), Strategic Trade Scheme (STS), Licensed Warehouse Scheme (LW) and Zero-GST Warehouse Scheme (ZGS).

We provide regulatory and licencing advice on a broad range of goods and products including the sale and distribution of regulated items and related issues, such as packaging and advertising and the storage and transportation of dangerous goods, flammable materials and hazardous substances.