The Legal Barriers to International Movement of Goods and their Impact on the Administration of Small Scale Organisations in the United Kingdom

The carriage of goods across international boundaries involves bulk and sometimes complex transportation and therefore requires planning and the deployment of resources and logistics. In most cases, the use of sea transportation is commonly preferred. The legal issues surrounding the carriage of goods have informed the development of trade laws and international commercial law including the law of contract. Carriage of Goods by Sea, land and air are comprehensive yet dynamic body of law which continues to develop through statute and case laws, both domestic and foreign. The objective of the paper is to discuss some of the fundamental legal hurdles which confront small scale firms engaging in export and import businesses in the United Kingdom; to discuss some of the problems of the current international trade laws; and, to address the possible implications of failing to comply with the legal requirements of international trade.