Title: Land Freight Transport along the Belt and Road: State-to-State and Investor-State Disputes

Author: Alejandro García Jiménez

Abstract: Road and rail (land) freight transport play a quintessential role in European and Eastern China logistics. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and other multilateral development and infrastructure initiatives are consolidating Europe-China land freight corridors, as well as land freight routes that link China to other countries in Asia. This article analyzes the nature of the State-to-State disputes and the investor-State disputes that may arise in relation with these land freight transport infrastructure projects. State-to-State disputes related to the current developments in land freight transport potentially include disputes related to the liberalization of transport services, as well as State-to-State investment disputes related to road and rail transport infrastructure. Many of the investment disputes that may eventually arise out of the Belt and Road (B&R) land transport infrastructure projects may be resolved through Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms.

Keywords: Belt and Road (B&R) State-to-State Disputes, Road and Rail (Land) Freight Transport, WTO Dispute-Settlement, Trade-in-Services Liberalization, Freight Services Liberalization, Belt and Road (B&R) Investor-State Disputes