At the beginning of the year 2020, the unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 caused tremendous impacts on China and the rest of the globe. The impact on China's vast foreign trade enterprises is also becoming increasingly prominent. On the one hand, with comprehensive and stringent measures taken to combat the epidemic, companies are facing challenges on resumption of work and production, and the obstacles on logistics throughout the supply chain. On the other hand, these companies are haunted by the difficulties in contract performance as some of the countries have adopted various types of entry and exit restrictions against China.

As one of the earliest institutions engaged in foreign-related legal services in China, the Commercial Legal Services of CCPIT, playing its professional advantage, stepped up the preparation and compiling of the “Legal Guide for Foreign Trade Enterprises on Applying Force Majeure and Change of Circumstances under the COVID-19” (hereinafter referred to as the Guide) to the urgent need of the companies. Based on the legal basis that enterprises intend to claim exemption from liability in accordance with force majeure and change of circumstances provisions, the Guide covers questions and answers concerning the most striking issues, legal provisions and judicial practice in major jurisdictions, recommendations to enterprises, reference templates for force majeure notice, procedures for applying for force majeure certificate, etc. The full version of the Guide can be downloaded from the website:

http://www.ccpit.org/Contents/Channel_4324/2020/0218/1241550/content_1241550.htm