Commodities & International Trade

We handle the full range of commodities and international trade disputes.

Commodities and international trade disputes

Our Commodities & International team has extensive experience in handling commodities, cargo disputes and LC disputes. That includes the disputes between the seller and the buyer, seller/buyer and the carrier, cargo and the insurer, and cargo and banker.

We represent our clients in court litigation and arbitration.

We work in Peninsular Malaysian courts, particularly the Kuala Lumpur Admiralty Court and Commercial Court. We also undertakes Labuan court matters. For Sabah and Sarawak court matters, we collaborate with Chin Lau Wong & Foo (for Sabah) and Sandhu Lee Goh & Co (for Sarawak).

We undertake work in London Commercial and Admiralty courts by instructing Dr. Arun Kasi, and additionally a local solicitor’s firm in London where necessary. Dr. Arun Kasi regularly appears before both Kuala Lumpur and London courts.

The team has extensive experience in arbitration work around the world, including at London, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, India and Brunei, and under the rules of LMAA, CIArb, SCMA, AIAC, HKIAC and ad hoc arbitrations. Dr. Arun Kasi is an arbitrator in HKIAC list and AIAC panel. Capt. Sushil Shankar is an arbitrator in the SIAC, SCMA, SIArb, DIAC, AALCO-HKRAC, IIAM and AIAC panels, among others. 

Our clients include shipowners, operators, charterers, chandlers, cargo owners, brokers, H&M/cargo insurers, P&I clubs, and insureds.

Current cases

• Representing a cargo owner (voyage charterer) in a US$28 m cargo dispute, in which the ship was arrested, following the refusal of the ship to deliver the cargo upon the cargo owner being sanctioned by US OFAC under Iranian trade sanctions scheme.

• Representing a fuel supplier in a US$250,000 claim in Commercial Court. 

Non-litigious commodities and international trade work

We undertake advisory work in relation to various commodities and international trade contracts. That includes on INCOTERMS 2020, ICC UCP 600, ICC URDG 758, etc.

Links to our guides

• Bills of lading, click here.
• Malaysia switches to Hague-Visby Rules (with SDR Protocol) wef 15 July 2021: Implications? – click here.
• The “Thorco Lineage” [2023] EWHC 26 (Comm): Hague-Visby Rules liability limitation extends to economic loss; The “Limnos” [2008] 2 Lloys’d Rep. 186 not followed – click here.
• Hague/Hague-Visby Rules and Common Law Doctrine of Stages : A revisit to The Makedonia [1962] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 316 – click here.

TEAM

Malaysian Court litigation

• Adjunct Prof. Dr. Arun Kasi
• Linda A James

International Arbitration (Arbitrator & Arbitration counsel)

• Adjunct Prof. Dr. Arun Kasi
• Adjunct Prof. Jacqueline Perry KC
• Capt. Sushil Shankar
• Josep Galvez
• Adjunct Prof. Arran Dowling-Hussey

London Court counsel work

• Adjunct Prof. Dr. Arun Kasi