INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND LOGISTICS

In 2013, the Cádiz province exported goods abroad worth 8,316.4 million euros, representing a growth in exports of 1.7% versus the previous year, consolidating our province as the highest-exporting province in the Andalusian Region and standing for almost one third of the region’s foreign turnover.

The tightening of the domestic market following the financial crisis has given local companies no choice but to internationalise. To do so they need to be led by experts in Foreign Trade issues due to the fact that international markets are full of big business opportunities but also allow absolutely no room for excuses or error.

International trade in goods usually involves trading relations in three intrinsically-linked areas; Logistics and Transport, Commerce and Contracting, Insurance and Payment Systems. Our firm can provide specialist global advice in all these fields so that our clients gain maximum commercial success.

Logistics and Transport:

Whether goods are transported by road, rail, air or sea, there is always a risk of a mishap that could cause losses or damages to the cargo. For instance, frozen or refrigerated goods might go to waste due to container cooling problems or bottled goods might smash if the lorry carrying them suffers an accident.

In the face of such contingencies, our legal team can minimise and control any risks by correctly drafting the clauses of contracts with the logistic services who arrange transport, distribution and storage. If the contingency has already taken place, we can provide our clients with expert advice by interpreting the clauses of the agreements already in place and applicable legislation so that they can recover the goods or receive compensation for losses and damages.

Whatever the means of transport, the type of cargo, the origin and destination or the various legal systems at play, our team of lawyers are fully trained to give you the best advice and defence so that concern over the safety of your transported goods is one more thing you can tick off your list.

Commerce and Contracting:

Trading relations between companies of different nationalities are usually subject to a series of commercial terms that arise out of the different legal systems that apply and the clauses of the contracts that the parties have signed. Those terms and conditions, often containing complex legal terminology, usually include:

• United National Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG)
• INCOTERMS (Terms of Sale and Allocation of Cost & Risks between Buyer & Seller)
• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
• Other commercial terms depending on the industry

Our team of lawyers provide top-level advice on the wording of clauses in contracts that govern the trading relations between our clients and the companies they hire. In the event of a dispute over the application of those contracts, we are fully trained to defend our clients in any judicial or arbitration proceedings, whether in Spain or elsewhere.

Insurance and Payment Systems:

One crucial aspect of international trade is ensuring that both the goods and payment therefor arrive at their respective destinations. The complex nature of international trading relations is apparent in these sectors as well, in which the products designed to insure and pay for goods proliferate and are modified continuously, in accordance with regulations and current needs. That is why companies trading on foreign markets need a group of professionals like us, to see to it that the safety of the goods and payment are guaranteed at all times, and if not, that the legal or arbitration authorities reinstate our clients’ rights as quickly and smoothly as possible.