international economic law

International economic law is a field of international law that encompasses the conduct of sovereign states and international organizations in international economic relations and the conduct of private parties involved in cross-border economic and business transactions. International economic law is an interdisciplinary field encompassing both public and private international law. 

International economic law includes the fields of international trade law, international financial law, traditional private international law fields, regional economic integration (European Union, ASEAN, and other regional trade organizations), international development law, international commercial arbitration, international intellectual property law, and international business regulation.

Key actors in the formation of international economic law include the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the UN Commission on International Trade Law

Further resources on international economic law can be found at the Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute of International Economic Law; the International Economic Law & Policy Blog, a blog by influential international economic law scholars, including Joel Trachtman, Andrew Guzman and Chantal Thomas; the Society of International Economic Law; and Journal of International Economic Law (Oxford Univ. Press).

[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]