The Law and Practice of International Trade and Shipping by Philip Teoh - 2026

In today’s fast-changing global economy, international trade and shipping law have become increasingly complex – shaped by cross-border regulations, sanctions regimes, and evolving commercial practices. The Law and Practice of International Trade and Shipping offers a timely and comprehensive guide to this dynamic field, blending doctrinal clarity with practical insight. This book provides an in-depth exploration of how international trade and shipping law intersect in practice. Few areas of commerce demand such a close integration of law and industry knowledge – where legal principles guide everyday operations, and industry customs in turn shape legal outcomes.

Authored by Philip Teoh, an accomplished practitioner with over three decades of experience in Singapore and Malaysia, the work draws on his extensive courtroom experience, including landmark Admiralty cases such as The Istana VI, which helped shape Malaysia’s maritime jurisprudence.

Covering the full spectrum of international commerce, the book examines the WTO trading system, trade finance, international sales, and the carriage of goods by sea, encompassing vessel chartering, bills of lading, and related shipping documents. It also provides detailed discussions on container shipping, cargo operations, marine insurance, and maritime arbitration, among other core topics. Each chapter is supported by analysis of statutes, decided cases, and industry practice – making it an indispensable reference for practitioners, arbitrators, judges, and industry professionals alike.

Praised for its breadth, depth, and practical relevance, this work bridges legal principle with commercial reality, filling a notable gap in the literature and offering reliable guidance through the complexities of modern international trade and shipping law.

Key features:

• Malaysia's most comprehensive treatment of international trade and shipping law, integrating doctrinal analysis with real-world practice and addressing the evolving challenges of global commerce.
• Bridges the gap between law and industry, illustrating how legal principles and commercial practices operate together in areas such as vessel chartering, bills of lading, and international sales.
• Covers the full spectrum of international commercial law, including the WTO framework, trade finance, sanctions, marine insurance, cargo operations, and maritime arbitration.
• The analysis of each area is supported by discussion of statutes, case law, and industry standards.
• Authored by a leading maritime practitioner with over 30 years of cross-border experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. International Trade
2. World Trade Organization and Trade Remedies
3. Sanctions
4. Trade Finance
5. International Sales
6.  The Law of Sea and Regulation of Shipping
7. Dealings Involving Vessels
8. Carriage of Goods by Sea
   Part I:Chartering of Vessels
9. Carriage of Goods by Sea
   Part II:Bills of Lading and Shipping Documents
10. Container Shipping and Cargo Operations
11. Bunkers
12. Marine Pollution
13. Collisions at Sea and the Collision Regulations
14. Tonnage Limitation
15. Marine Insurance
16. Maritime Arbitration
17. Admiralty

AUTHOR

Philip Teoh holds a distinguished record of more than three decades practising law across Singapore and Malaysia, with deep expertise in Admiralty, Maritime Law, International Trade, and Insurance matters. Philip was called to the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1990 and to the Malaysian Bar in 1993, and he regularly argues cases up to the Federal Court. An active practising arbitrator, he is empanelled with several international arbitration centres.

Philip contributes to leading legal publications, including Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Malaysian Precedents of Pleadings and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and workshops, sharing insights from his extensive litigation and arbitration experience and his work on cross-border trade and shipping regulation.