ECON802 Assignment 3 Brief

Course: ECON802 Economics and Global Trade

Due:4.00pm, Thursday 30 July 2026 (soft copy submission through Moodle only)

Learning Outcomes

LO3: Discern the key similarities and differences between the laws and regulations that impact domestic and global trade.

LO5: Evaluate legal issues related to international business to identify the impact on business operations.

Assignment 3 Tasks

You must write a comprehensive Critical Audit and Strategic Risk Review Report addressed directly to the Board of Directors identifying any AI blind spots. Your job is to systematically stress-test, critique, and expose the structural flaws, legal omissions, and operational blind spots in the Commercial Manager’s proposal. For every vulnerability you expose, you must provide a legally sound, operationally realistic rectification or counter-strategy to safely insulate the company.

Your audit must address the following six key dimensions:

Detailed Report Requirements

1. Critically evaluate the Commercial Manager’s recommendation of Germany and the proposed DTC/3PL entry framework. Identify the key legal and operational risks arising from relevant political, economic, or trade factors in this market. Explain your reasons for your recommendation and market entry strategy.

(20 Marks)

2. Conduct a strict compliance audit on how the NZ-EU FTA actually applies to the specific company’s supply chain. Discern and evaluate the legal and operational risks or benefits proposed, considering tariffs, trade barriers (tariff and non-tariff), regulatory alignment and any operational challenges that remain despite the treaty.

(20 Marks)

3. Expose any legal errors in the Commercial Manager’s “Sale of Goods Law Comparison” including proposed risk transfer models. Discern and evaluate the legal and operational risks or opportunities these similarities and differences create, explaining how they may affect trade or require specific legal and operational adjustments.

(15 Marks)

4. Evaluate the proposed Contractual Terms and identify any errors or omissions. For each term you support or propose, discern and explain how it mitigates the identified legal and operational risks, and evaluate its protective function and practical effect on business operations.

(15 Marks)

5. Examine the legal effectiveness, financial complexities, and operational risks of the dispute resolution recommendations. Evaluate the effectiveness, complexities, and risks of different mechanisms (e.g., litigation, arbitration, mediation) within that legal framework. Justify any changes based on this analysis.

(15 Marks)

6. Identify any legal and operational errors in part 6 of the report and identify what is legally compliant for Kathmandu’s 2026 launch. Discern and explain how this development affects the company’s expansion plan, legal strategy, or contractual recommendations, citing all sources and publication date in full for evidence you rely upon.

(15 Marks)