概览

凭借我们敏锐的商业洞察力及法律见解，以及与世界各国政策制定者的密切接触，本行国际贸易组可帮助跨国公司识别具有发展潜力的海外市场，制定相应的市场进入策略。我们与众多双边、区域性及多边机构紧密协作，包括世界贸易组织（WTO）、世界海关组织（WCO）、亚太经济合作组织（APEC）和经济合作与发展组织（OECD），以便：

应对不公平或非法贸易壁垒
建立国际商业联盟
促进有利营商的贸易惯例

本行律师及专家曾在美国、欧盟及亚洲各地担任一系列政府高级职务，客户可凭此接触到关键的全球监管机构和商界领袖。国际贸易成员组曾在以下机构任职：

白宫
美国国会，担任议员及幕僚长
欧盟委员会
欧洲议会
美国商务部、交通部、财政部以及美国贸易代表办公室

凭借以上经验，我们能识别并评估许多国家的合资伙伴及投资机遇，并能与外国政府进行复杂的谈判，指引客户抓住新机遇。

多边及双边贸易协定
我们就商业及政府客户在世界贸易组织协定以及美国、欧盟及其他国家签订的多边及双边贸易协定项下的权利为其提供法律意见，该等协定包括：

美国：双边投资条约；《友好通商航海条约》；自由贸易协定，包括《北美自由贸易协定》、《多米尼加共和国－中美州自由贸易协定》。
欧盟：《伙伴与合作协定》；《欧洲协定》；《欧盟－地中海协定》；《稳定与伙伴公约》；以及欧盟签订的其他自由贸易协定。

我们始终了解新贸易协定执行的进程，并制定有效的谈判立场和策略。新协定常会影响客户的业务经营及结构，我们可据此指引客户作必要的调整。目前，我们格外关注与非洲国家、加勒比海国家及太平洋国家的经济伙伴关系协定（EPA）、欧盟将与东南亚国家联盟（ASEAN）、韩国、印度、中美州进行协商的协定，以及与海湾合作委员会（GCC）和南方共同市场的长期谈判。

优惠贸易制度
美国和欧盟已执行单边优惠贸易制度，其中最知名的是“普惠制”。本行可指引制造业、通信业、农业及金融服务业等行业的客户，单独使用或结合其它双边及多边贸易制度使用上述优惠贸易制度。

其中包括使用市场准入工具，如《欧盟贸易壁垒条例》及美国《关税法》第301条。借助上述规定以及双边贸易协定规定的其它市场准入机制或欧盟委员会和美国政府的外交接触，清除贸易非关税壁垒，从而打开外国市场。

We work closely with bilateral, regional and multilateral institutions, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to:

Address unfair or illegal trade barriers
Build international business coalitions
Promote business-friendly trade practices

Clients gain access to key global regulators and business leaders thanks to the senior policy positions our lawyers and professionals have held in the US, the European Union and throughout Asia. Members of our team have served in:

The White House
United States Congress, staff directors
European Commission
European Parliament
US Departments of Commerce, Transportation, Treasury and State Office of the United States Trade Representative

Using such experience we can identify and assess venture partners and investment opportunities in many countries and steer clients through complex negotiations with foreign governments to take advantage of new opportunities.

Multilateral and Bilateral Trade Agreements

We advise business and government clients on their rights under the WTO agreements and other multilateral and bilateral trade agreements concluded by the United States, the European Union and other countries, including:

For the United States: Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs); Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaties; and FTAs, including the NAFTA and the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement.
For the European Union: Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPAs); Europe Agreements; Euromed Agreements; the Stability and Partnership Pact; and other FTAs concluded by the EU.

As new trade agreements are implemented, we keep on top of the process and develop effective negotiating positions and strategies. Often these agreements affect business operations and structures, and our team shows clients what changes are necessary. Currently, we are focusing on EPAs with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the agreements that the European Union will negotiate with ASEAN, Korea, India and Central America, and the long-standing negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Mercosur.

Preferential Trade Regimes

The United States and the European Union have implemented unilateral preferential trade regimes, the best known of which is the Generalized System of Preferences. Clients in the manufacturing, telecommunications, agricultural and financial services sectors rely on Mayer Brown for guidance on using these regimes alone or in combination with other bilateral and multilateral trade regimes.

That includes taking advantage of such market access tools as the EU Trade Barrier Regulation and Section 301 of the Tariff Act in the United States. Both can be used to pry open foreign markets closed by non-tariff barriers to trade, along with other market access mechanisms provided for in bilateral trade agreements or diplomatic contacts by the European Commission and the US government.

执业经验

Designing a government affairs strategy and communications plan for a major United States media company as part of its $200 million joint venture with a Chinese computer maker.
Helping a large tool manufacturer address a regulation by the Japanese National Police Agency that would have prevented the sale or distribution of certain power tools in that country by classifying them as dangerous weapons.
Obtaining a Presidential decree in Brazil that eliminated discriminatory tax treatment that threatened the operations of a US exporter of agricultural products.
Structuring a cooperative joint venture with two Chinese partners, helping an international music company become the first Western music enterprise to enter the Chinese entertainment sector.
Leading, at the request of the European Commission, the development and drafting of the official REACH guidance documents on data sharing and consortia forming that will provide imported chemicals, alone or in formulated and manufactured products, with EU market access.
Advising several multinational companies and trade associations on commitments to eliminate market access barriers involving financial services and intellectual property rights as key aspects of Russia’s accession to the WTO.
Developing an innovative approach to remedy patent protection problems that research pharmaceutical companies face in Saudi Arabia.
Obtaining commitments that gave a financial services organization open market access to the Ukrainian electronic payments market as part of Ukraine’s pending accession to the WTO.
Securing a major research pharmaceutical company’s exclusive market rights for its product by analyzing bilateral agreement obligations and WTO commitments, and by working with United States and Slovenian Government officials.