Each 30 CATS module will be assessed in the following manner:

Week 4: Assignment worth 20% of the total marks - 1500 words or equivalent (please see below); assesses learning outcomes 1 and 6

Week 8: Assignment worth 30% of the total marks - 2500 words or equivalent (please see below); assesses learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6

These smaller assessments in weeks 4 & 8 could take a variety of forms e.g. book review, summarizing a series of articles, multiple-choice tests, compilation of a portfolio and short questions on specific sections within the module.

Week 15: main assignment which assesses the total knowledge of the module, worth 50% of the total marks for the module [4000 words] - assesses all learning outcomes

The rationale behind the multiple assessments is to encourage the students to keep pace with the course, especially as it is delivered from a distance.

Chuah J.C.T.: Law of International Trade [3rd ed.] Sweet and Maxwell 2005

Carr, I.: Principles of International Trade Law [3rd ed.] Cavendish 2005

D'Arcy, Murray & Cleave: Schmitthoff's Export Trade: The Law and Practice of International Trade [10th ed.] Sweet & Maxwell 2000

Access to appropriate texts, cases and legislation, especially via specialist online legal databases e.g. Westlaw [utilising the Athens password system].

The focus of this award is on independent directed study. The online module is constructed in such a way as to provide guidance as to each section by providing:

- Learning Outcomes
- Module Outline
- Reading
- Tasks / Discussions

In every section there are topics for discussion which will be indicated in the Course Documents section and conducted via the Discussion Boards. The tutor will regularly monitor the discussions and contribute where appropriate.
Students will also be encouraged to communicate with the tutor via email if they feel it is a matter unsuitable for the Discussion Boards.
Discussion Boards will be `live' for limited periods only, to encourage students to participate regularly, rather than leave it all to the last-minute. At the end of the `live' period, all discussions will be archived, and the archives will still be accessible to the students on a `read-only' basis.

The aim of this module is to provide an appreciation of the laws governing the trading of goods on the international marketplace. We will examine the development and influence of the laws governing such export trading, legal relationships between the parties, the nature of the particular types of contracts and the rights and liabilities that arise. Emphasis is placed on the practical implications of these laws for individuals and companies trading internationally. As such the course provides academic challenge as well as day-to-day relevance for those students who may later be involved in advising on or conducting such transactions. Students will notice the strong bias towards the laws of sea trading, but this merely reflects the fact that the overwhelming majority of export trading is conducted via carriage by sea.
The main strands are :
- The contract of export sales of goods - formation, conditions and warranties, passing of property and risk, performance, rights, liabilities and remedies, standardisation of terms [UNCITRAL, ICCs], uniform laws, general terms, transmission of data, EDI, etc.
- The contract of carriage of goods by sea, for export trade - special types of export trade e.g. ex works, ex factory, ex store, FAS, FOB, CIF, arrival, ex ship, ex quay, delivered, time and voyage charterparties, bills of lading and other vital documents, general average, the Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules and Hamburg Rules : scope of application, incorporation.
- The contract of finance of export trade - bills of exchange, documentary / letters of credit, UCPs, guarantees.
- The contract of insurance of export trade - marine insurance, ICCs, average.
- Brief Overview of Conflict of Laws - contracts, choice of laws, dispute resolutions, enforcements of foreign judgements.