ICC News

15 February 2022 ICC, DCSA, BIMCO, FIATA and SWIFT have launched the Future International Trade Alliance and signed a memorandum of understanding to standardise digitalisation of international trade. Together, the industry associations will collaborate on the development and adoption of relevant standards to facilitate the use of electronic bills of lading. Established to further digitalisation of container shipping technology standards, Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) – a neutral, non-profit group – in conjunction with its nine member carriers, today announced the formation of the Future International Trade (FIT) Alliance with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between DCSA, ICC,

31 January 2022 ICC has submitted an amicus curiae brief to provide guidance to the United States Supreme Court regarding a decision it will take that may lead to policy and practical implications on the conduct of international arbitrations worldwide. The brief is jointly submitted by ICC and the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which operates ICC’s national committee in the United States (ICC USA). On 10 December 2021, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases – ZF Automotive US, Inc. v. Luxshare, Ltd. and AlixPartners, LLP, et al. v. The Fund for Protection of Investors’ Rights in Foreign

28 January 2022 This week, we’re taking a look at how certificates of origin are used to support the movement of goods across borders with a success story in the Asia-Pacific. As the global trade environment becomes more complicated and new rules and regulations emerge, the role of customs is becoming critical. By verifying compliance with origin-related requirements, customs authorities can protect against the diversion or transhipments of shipments that may pose risks or impede free trade agreements due to tariffs or other duties. On 1 January, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into effect. The new trade agreement aims to create

26 January 2022 Preliminary 2021 statistics released today by ICC Dispute Resolution Services reveal a great demand for ICC Arbitration and ADR as well as a steep rise of amounts in dispute in new cases. In 2021, the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration registered 853 new cases in total, comprising 840 cases filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules and 13 under the Rules of ICC as Appointing Authority. The number is comparable but lower than the record number of filings reported in 2020. In addition, the Secretariat received 27 requests under the ICC Emergency Arbitrator Provisions, a procedure for urgent interim or

11 January 2022 In this guest post, Carolyn Nguyen, Jakob Greiner and Makoto Yokozawa underscore how establishing trust and minimising disruptions in data flows are fundamental to reaping the benefits of digitalisation. “To harness the opportunities of the digital economy and support the trade of goods and services, data should be able to flow freely across borders with trust, including the trust of individuals and businesses,” opens the Data free flow with trust chapter of the Digital Trade Principles agreed by the G7 countries at the G7 Trade Track on 22 October 2021. We strongly support this sentiment and the clear call to action

6 January 2022 In this guest blog, Rene Summer, Lead of the ICC Global Digital Economy Commission Working Group on Cybersecurity underscores the private sector call on governments to make cybersecurity everyone’s business saying there is no time to wait. On 17 December, the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of Information anc communication technologies (ICTs) wrapped up the first substantive meeting of its five-year mandate to further develop the rules, norms and principles of responsible behaviour of states and the ways for their implementation. Mid-January, the UN open-ended ad hoc intergovernmental committee will hold its first

20 December 2021 We’re wrapping up another ground-breaking year in dispute resolution with a look back at our key achievements – from being named the world’s preferred arbitral institution to taking new diversity and inclusion initiatives. 1. Receiving record Arbitration and ADR case filings  In January, ICC announced record case filings for its arbitration and ADR services, recording a total of 946 new arbitration cases in 2020. Revised ICC Rules of Arbitration entered into force on 1 January 2021, along with updates to the ICC Court’s Note to Parties and Arbitral Tribunals on the Conduct of Arbitration. A full statistical report was

15 December 2021 ICC has today announced the formation of a new Legal Reform Advisory Board (LRAB) to support the legal harmonisation efforts of the ICC Digital Standards Initiative. As part of our drive to promote inclusion and create opportunity for all parties involved in the international supply chain, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched the Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) in 2020 in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Singapore, with the vision to establish a globally harmonized, digitalised trade environment. The new Legal Reform Advisory Board will work under the auspices of the DSI Governance Board

14 December 2021 A major independent report published today by ICC spotlights the need for a significant overhaul of global trade rules if governments are to meet their stated aim of accelerating the adoption of circular business models. A major independent report published today by ICC spotlights the need for a significant overhaul of global trade rules if governments are to meet their stated aim of accelerating the adoption of circular business models. The study – The Circular Economy and International Trade: Options for the World Trade Organization – highlights that while international trade has a vital role to play in promoting resource

6 December 2021 ICC has published updated guidance for responsible environmental marketing communications to help marketers and advertisers make truthful and useful environmental claims. As consumers become more interested in the environmental footprint of the products they buy, the updated ICC Framework for Responsible Environmental Marketing Communications (the “ICC Framework”) helps marketers evaluate environmental communications to maintain consumer confidence in these claims. The ICC Framework helps marketers craft environmental messages that adhere to the basic global principles of truthful, honest and socially responsible communications. The climate crisis has sparked growing momentum on climate action globally, including collective efforts by governments and