GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 19, 2026
Private International Law
Private international law – sometimes called conflict of laws – is the branch of national law that governs cross-border private legal relationships.
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Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/private_international_law
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Definition & Explanation
Private international law – sometimes called conflict of laws – is the branch of national law that governs cross-border private legal relationships. It addresses three core questions: which country's law applies to a given dispute, which court has jurisdiction, and whether a foreign judgment can be recognised and enforced. For freight forwarders, carriers, and shippers, it forms the legal backbone of international contracts: where parties have not agreed on governing law or jurisdiction, private international law rules step in to fill the gap, drawing on instruments such as the Rome I Regulation, the CMR Convention, or the CIM Uniform Rules. It should not be confused with public international law, which regulates relations between states.
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