International Business

International trade law is described as the combination of domestic or national law and public international law that applies to transactions for goods or services that cross national boundaries. Certain multilateral treaties play important roles in this field, such as the Convention for the International Sales of Goods and others dealing with dispute resolution and enforcement of dispute adjudications.

Customs' Regulatory Audit Field and Branch Offices are responsible for auditing major importers and other entities involved in international trade for compliance with laws and regulations governing the importation and exportation of merchandise. A risk-based approach is used by Customs to assess import compliance with trade laws and regulations.

The audit reviews employ a systematic approach to data collection and an analysis of data to determine the likelihood of noncompliance, which includes assessing risks by reviewing corporate controls over trade compliance.

Penalty actions and claims for duties and interest can be instituted by Customs as a result of these audits, and importers should do their own internal reviews on a periodic basis to identify problem areas in advance so as to avoid non-compliance and receiving penalties.

Xcel Law Group practices in the following fields:

• Breach of Contract Claims involving Shipment of Non-conforming Goods
• International Agreements
• International Sales Agreements
• International Transactions
• Cross-Border Transactions
• Foreign Business Development
• Franchise Agreements
• Joint Ventures
• Foreign Investment
• Intellectual Property Disputes
• Negotiation of ocean transport contracts, including bills of lading and charter parties
• Disputes arising from ocean transport documents
• Countervailing duties
• Anti-dumping
• Shipbuilding contracts
• Customs classification analysis
• FDA import rules and regulations
• Rules of origin analysis
• International arbitration
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• United States Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA)
• Other contracts and claims involving international trade