For nearly a century, the products of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC rules, standards and dispute-resolution services, among others) have helped provide a solid foundation for the export trade and other forms of international business and investment. A great deal of the remarkably positive economic impact of international trade in the 20th century can be traced to the efforts of trade facilitation and harmonization bodies — and in particular, to ICC.

Today, ICC is more necessary and relevant than ever before. In recent years the world trading system has become increasingly complex. International economic volatility has coincided with a slowdown in trade growth and the arrival of transformative and disruptive digital technologies. The rising challenge of sustainability has forced countries and companies to continually update their environmental and human rights policies.

In this context, the stabilizing and standardizing role of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has become more important than ever before.

This book owes a great debt to the thousands of ICC trade experts who have participated in developing and revising the various rules, standards, and other products described herein, throughout ICC’s long history. These efforts would not have been possible without the support of ICC’s permanent staff, both at the ICC Secretariat in Paris and in the ICC National Committees and affiliates around the world.

We must also salute the efforts of sister organisations who have complemented ICC’s efforts, in particular the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (Uncitral), the Institute for the Unification of Private Trade Law (UNIDROIT), and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

This edition was the brainchild of ICC Secretariat personnel, in particular Marie- Dominique Fraiderik and Aisling Achoun. Invaluable additional input and review was provided by ICC executives, in particular Stefano Bertasi, Emily O’Connor, Raelyne Martin, Olivier Paul, Mireze Philippe and Daphne Yong d’Herve.

This book expresses ICC’s conviction that international trade — supported by proper training in commercial practices and skills — will continue to contribute to the world’s prosperity, peace and cultural enrichment.

Guillermo Jimenez
New York, 2018