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The BLS International Trade web page focuses on resources for trade related research in the Americas. General international research links are also provided under the heading General Materials. This page is divided into the following categories:
- General Resources
- US Treaty Collections
- Foreign Lawsfrom the Legal Information Institute.
- United States Laws
- Research Guides and Bibliographies
(see also, links under NAFTA and The Americas)
- A New Vision for International Law Instruction, a paper prepared for the April 2000 meeting of the American Society of International Law by Jean Davis, Reference Librarian and Adjunct Associate Professor of Law, and Marci Hoffman, Foreign and International Law Librarian.
- WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources edited, annotated, and updated by Wayne Selcher, Professor of Political Science, Elizabethtown College.
- Guide to International Trade Law Source on the Internet by Marci Hoffman, Law Librarian, Harvard University.
- Guide to European Legal Databases by By Mirela Roznovschi, Law Librarian, New York University.
- Guide to Foreign and International Legal Research by Jean Davis and Victoria Szymczak, Law Librarians and Adjunct Professors, Brooklyn Law School.
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- U.S. Government Web Sites
- The U.S. Court of International Trade provides PDF access to the
Court's slip opinions. The opinions are arranged in reverse chronological order.
- The United States International Trade Commision
takes action against unfair trade practices with particular emphasis on intellectual property rights, and
acts as an advisor to the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government regarding the impact of
import practices on the economy. This site provides access to their docket and calendar and includes the complaints
and petitions that are filed with this agency. It also provides economic reports on industries and global trends
that are prepared in connection with the purpose of the agency.
- The International Trade Administration
is a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce. At this site you will find market
oriented trade information and statistics organized by country, region and industry. An intesting feature is the T
rade Compliance Center link which offers samples of trade agreements. The TCC offers help in taking advantage of
over 200 international trade agreements to which the U.S. is a party.
- The site of the Office of the Legal Advisor for Private International Law,
U.S. Department of State includes a variety of documents related to international commerce. It also houses a
searchable database containing documents produced by UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT and the OAS.
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- International Organizations
- International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
(Unidroit)
The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit) is an independent intergovernmental
organisation with 58 member states. Its purpose is to examine ways of harmonising and co-ordinating the private
law of States and of groups of States, and to promote adoption of uniform private laws. At this site you will find
full text versions of adopted and preliminary drafts of UNIDROIT Conventions and a status sheet for each.
- World Trade Organization
The WTO site houses an excellent library of trade documents and other publications.
They also offer information on specific trade topics: dispute settlement, environment, government procurement,
intellectual property, sale of goods and services.
- World Bank -- International Trade Division
This site at the World Bank has a good collection of full text working papers on international trade
issues. Included in this collection are working papers on the World Trade Organization, GATT and select regional
trade integration agreements.
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- Country Guides and Information
- U.S. Department of State Background Notes
Background notes provide information on nation states, territories and international organizations. Geographic regions include countries in Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere. An E-mail current awareness tool is also available for free subscription.
- Hieros Gamos Business and Law Guides
The Business and Law Guides are an excellent resource for those beginning their efforts to learn about a new
jurisdiction. The Guides at HG are prepared by practitioners and introduce readers into the basic business practices
and legal structure of a juruisdiction. There are currently 35 guides available covering the EU and the Americas.
- Country Commercial Guides
The CCG summaries available at the International Trade Administration provide executive summaries of many countries. More detailed country information can be found at the National Trade Data Bank web site.
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- Convention on the International Sale of Goods
U.N. Commission on International Trade Law(UNCITRAL)
UNCITRAL is the branch of the United Nations and is concerned with the harmonization of international trade law. Its web site includes full text documents flowing from the work of UNCITRAL. This includes conventions, model laws, preparatory documents, and bibliographies. There is a case law database that allows users to access case abstracts for free (full text available with a paid for subscription). The USEFUL links portion of the web site provide links to country institutions that are creating databases for the Convention on the International Sale of Goods as it relates to their country. Many of these links have English translations and case law on the application of CISG in their courts. Among these countries are France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the United States.
CISG Database at Pace University School of Law
This all-round research page for the Convention on the International Sale of Goods contains an extensive database of searchable material. Included at this site are bibliographies, full-text writings, and a searchable case law database.
Article 2 - Uniform Commercial Code (Legal Information Institute)
As a point of interest, the application of the CISG replaces the application of Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code in the United States. It can be useful to look at relevant provisions of the UCC for an understanding of US application of these laws.
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- North American Free Trade Agreement and the Americas
- Bibliographies and Research Guides
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- Text of the North American Free Trade Agreement
- NAFTA Secretariat
The NAFTA Secretariat's web page is accessible in English, French and Spanish. In addition to providing the full text of NAFTA and the Enviornmental and Labor Side Agreements, this site house the Rules of Procedure under NAFTA, arbitral decisions, and status reports.
- Trade Unit of the Organization of American States - North American Free Trade Agreement
Access to this English-only version of the NAFTA text is by article number. In addition, the OAS provides
an overview of each chapter of NAFTA.
The OAS Trade Unit site also contains full text documentation of other multi- and bi-lateral agreements, regional agreements, nonreciprocal agreements, general association and cooperation agreements relative to trade in the Americas.
- Commission for Environmental Cooperation
The CEC is an international organization that was created under the North American Agreement for Environmental
Cooperation which complements the environmental provisions of NAFTA. Its purpose is to address regional environmental
concerns, to prevent trade and environmetnal conflicts, and to promote enforcement of environmental laws. Researchers
can search their Transboundry Agreements
Infobase to access full text agreements and and treaties on transboundary environmental cooperation in North America.
Select Publications > Databases and scroll to the bottom. They also provide access to periodic reports on the condition
of the environment in NAFTA member states. Their web site is accessible in English, French and Spanish.
- Commission for Labor Cooperation
The CLC is an international organization that was created under
the North American Agreement
on Labor Cooperation which complements the labor provisions of NAFTA. Its purpose is to improve working
conditions and living standards, and enforce basic rights of workers in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The CLC provides access to the text of the supplemental labor side agreement, a review of the agreement, and
periodic reports about the status of workers in the NAFTA member states. Their web site is accessible in English,
French and Spanish.
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- NAFTA Resources
- Canada
- Mexico and Latin America
- Statistics
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