跨境电子商务的相关物流的法律问题与解决途径的讨论

2018-11-06
浏览量 :4270
分享到
  • 微信好友
  • QQ好友
  • QQ空间
  • 腾讯微博
  • 新浪微博
  • 人人网

跨境电子商务的相关物流的法律问题

与解决途径的讨论

 

谢辉程

 

[摘要]跨境电子商务是跨境交易的一种形式,并且具有很大的发展趋势。本文将讨论涉及跨境电子商务的物流服务模式,进而从跨境电子商务物流服务大部分选择的第三方物流服务入手对其现存的法律问题进行研究,并对这些问题提出对策。

 

[关键词]跨境电子商务  第三方物流  法律地位  消费者权益  管辖权  ODR

 

Discussion on legal issues and solutions of related logistics in cross-border e-commerce

 

[Abstract]Cross-border e-commerce is a form of cross-border transactions and has a great development trend. The logistics service relevant to cross-border e-commerce will be discussed in this paper. And then we will analyze the existing legal issues from the third-party logistics services which are most of the cross-border e-commerce logistics services choices, and propose countermeasures for these problems.

 

[Keywords]cross-border e-commerce  Third-Party Logistics  legal status Consumer Rights  jurisdiction  ODR

 

一、引言

跨境电子商务是指分属不同关境的交易主体,通过电子商务平台达成交易、进行支付结算,并通过跨境物流送达商品、完成交易的一种国际商业活动。 随着经济全球化和互联网的迅速发展,跨境电子商务占国际贸易的比重越来越多。跨境电子商务因其的全球性、无形性、匿名性、即时性、无纸化以及互联网迅速发展造成电子商务的快速演进而带来的不确定性等特征使其区别于普通的商事行为,因此跨境电子商务存在其特有的法律问题。本文将从物流的角度对跨境商务法律问题进行探讨。

从交易双方的基本属性看,跨境电子商务分为有形产品和无形产品交易。有形产品交易更多是以线下交易流程作为主要的物流运输,保障物流支付的可靠性;而数字化商品则更多依靠于线上支付和结算,交易流程基本上在线上就可以全部完成,因而具有显著的隐蔽性特征。因此本文所讨论的物流方面的法律问题仅涉及有形产品的交易,无形产品交易不需要物流参与其交易过程。

有形产品的交易模式,按不同的分类标准可以划分为不同的类型,以商品流向为标准可以划分为跨境进口和跨境出口,以交易主体为标准可以划分为跨境一般贸易和跨境零售。不同的交易模式使用的物流服务一般有所不同。

二、跨境电子商务模式

(一)跨境进口和跨境出口

跨境进口一般分为直邮进口模式和保税进口模式。直邮进口指消费者在购买境外商品之后,通过国际运输发送,直接送达消费者手中。保税进口指事先从海外大批量运至国内的保税区存放,不必缴纳进口关税,只需缴纳存储费等少量费用。当需要给消费者发货的时候,再进行完税清关。直邮进口主要适用于进口 B2C 模式,是国外企业与国内消费者之间直接的贸易往来,消费者下单购物,国外销售商通过直邮模式将货物直接送达。保税进口则近似于一种 B2B2C 模式,从消费者的角度而言,保税进口相当于直接在电商平台下单,因为跨境电商平台已先行采购商品,因此运输时间相对较短。

跨境出口指企业将出口商品的交易、支付等环节都通过电子商务平台在线完成,并通过跨境物流送达商品到国外,实现一键售全球的国际商业活动。跨境出口主要包括跨境一般贸易和跨境零售。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

(二)跨境一般贸易和跨境零售

跨境一般贸易也称为跨境 B2B 贸易,是英文“Business-to-Business”的缩写,即企业对企业,是指不同国境内的企业之间,通过网络实现产品的交易、支付等环节的商业模式。

跨境零售又分为跨境B2C和跨境C2CB2C是英文“Business-to-Customer”的缩写,即企业对消费者,从企业到客户,卖方是公司,买方是个人,通过网络实现产品的交易过程。C2C 即英文“Customer-to-Customer”的缩写,即消费者对消费者,主要是指通过第三方交易平台实现个人对个人的电子交易活动。而跨境 C2C 则是指分属于不同国家的个人卖家通过网络交易平台在线展示、销售各种商品或服务,发布售卖信息、价格等内容。个人买家可以在电商平台上挑选心仪的商品,并达成交易、完成支付。

C2B也是电子商务模式的一种,即消费者对企业,是英文“Customer-to- Business”的缩写,最先由美国流行起来,目前国内很少有厂家真正完全采用这种模式。

 

三、涉及跨境电子商务的物流服务

物流是物品从供应地到接收地的实体流动过程,根据实际需要,将运输、储存、装卸、搬运、包装、流通加工、配送、回收、信息处理等基本功能实施有机的结合。随着电子商务的持续高速发展, 第三方物流企业的发展也进入了一个黄金时期。跨境电子商务涉及的物流服务主要是第三方物流服务,同时也存在少量的第一方物流和第二方物流。

第一方物流(First Party Logistics1PL),即卖方、生产者或者供应方组织的物流活动,其主要业务是生产和供应商品,但为了自身生产及销售的需要而进行物流网络和设备的投资、经营与管理。总的来说,由制造商或生产企业自己完成的物流活动称为第一方物流。第二方物流(Second Party Logistics) 指买方,销售者或流通企业组织的物流活动。这些组织为了销售业务需要而投资建设物流网络、物流设施和设备,并进行具体的物流业务运作组织和管理。严格的说从事第二方物流的公司属于分销商,第二方物流是鉴于企业一种完全的自主物流模式和完全外包的物流模式之间的一种物流模式。第一方物流和第二方物流都是基于卖方是有一定经济实力的企业而选择使用的物流服务,因此在跨境电子商务中,由第一方物流和第二方物流产生的法律问题都只限于买卖方双方之间的法律关系,即物流服务是卖方向买方基于买卖合同的一项义务,发生争议时可以通过双方约定适用的法律调整或根据国际公约或一国涉外法律进行调整,法律关系相对比较简单,因此本文不做具体讨论。

第三方物流(Third-Party Logistics,简称3PL,也简称TPL)或称综合物流、国外也称合同(契约)物流、物流外部化,即由供方与需方以外的物流企业提供物流服务的业务模式。第三方物流的具体定义是指生产经营企业把原来属于自己处理的物流活动以合同方式委托给专业物流服务企业,同时通过信息系统与物流企业保持密切联系,以达到对物流全程管理的控制的一种物流运作与管理方式。因此第三方物流又叫合同制物流,既不属于第一方,也不属于第二方,而是通过与第一方或第二方的合作来提供其专业化的物流服务,它不拥有商品,不参与商品的买卖,而是为客户提供以合同为约束、以结盟为基础的、系列化、个性化、信息化的物流代理服务。常见的第三方物流服务包括设计物流系统、EDI能力、报表管理、货物集运、选择承运人、货代人、海关代理、信息管理、仓储、咨询、运费支付、运费谈判等。第三方物流出现后,又有第四方物流(Fourth party logistics)的提出。第四方并不实际承担具体的物流运作活动,由美国埃森哲咨询公司于1998年率先提出,是专门为第一方、第二方和第三方提供物流规划、咨询、物流信息系统、供应链管理等活动。第四方物流不是物流的利益方,而是通过拥有的信息技术、整合能力以及其他资源提供一套完整的供应链解决方案,以此获取一定的利润。它是帮助企业实现降低成本和有效整合资源,并且依靠优秀的第三方物流供应商、技术供应商、管理咨询以及其他增值服务商,为客户提供独特的和广泛的供应链解决方案。因此在笔者看来,第四方物流本质上仍旧属于第三方物流性质,只不过其专业化的服务不再仅限于对单个环节的改进,而是会为客户提供差异化的解决方案,更加注重跨境物流的增值。

 

四、跨境电子商务中第三方物流的法律问题

(一)消费者权益保护不足

无论是哪种模式的跨境电子商务交易,在第三方物流服务中,消费者都是作为第三人,并不直接参与第三方物流合同的订立。从经济法学的角度而言,求偿权是消费者的基本权利,消费者合法权益受侵害具有当然的求偿权。但是在跨境电子商务交易中,由于其具有跨国性的特征,导致运输过程中的时间和空间跨距都很大,因此运输过程中货物可能会因为不可抗力或承运人的疏忽过失等原因造成不可预计的损失。与传统买卖的海上运输不同,消费者没有提单等货物凭证,因此产品与卖方描述不一致时,消费者、卖方、跨境电子商务平台、第三方物流经营人多方各执一词,难以确定应承担的赔偿责任应归咎于何方,消费者可能需要付出更多的金钱、时间和精力才能完全行使求偿权。

同时由于跨境电子商务具有全球性和即时性的特征,跨境电子商务平台和第三方物流企业都需要消费者提供有关个人身份的信息才能实现跨境电子商务交易和运输的过程,即消费者需要将涉及自身隐私的信息告知跨境电商平台和第三方物流经营人。互联网上的个人信息一定程度上是透明的,病毒或黑客入侵电商平台或第三方物流的计算机可能会导致消费者个人隐私的泄露。同时由于法律规定的漏洞,消费者的个人信息可能会变成商品被企业所出售。

(二)跨境电子商务中第三方物流法律合同存在法律争议

在跨境电子商务交易过程中,第三方物流合同基于跨境的性质,往往会涉及多个物流环节,不仅包括运输、仓储、配送、装卸、加工、信息处理等传统物流服务,还涉及到有关报关、签发单证等一系列内容。因此第三方物流合同的法律关系也比被视为一般民商事合同的第一方或第二方物流合同复杂的多。并且由于签订外包合同完成相关物流服务是第三方物流企业常采用的形式,即此种情况下第三方物流经营者可能并非物流服务的实际履行者。因此衍生出了两个问题:1.跨境电子商务中第三方物流合同的法律性质不明确;2.第三方物流经营人的法律地位不明确。从法理的角度来说,确定该合同的性质应该取决于所解决的法律关系,要想确定第三方法律合同性质和物流经营者的法律地位,需要根据具体的情形进行分析。

1.第三方物流合同的法律性质不明确

第三方物流合同的法律性质根据不同的法律关系可以分为仓储或运输合同、行纪合同和代理合同。

传统的物流合同中就包括仓储和运输,因此这也是一般性的第三方物流服务关系,这些基础性服务仍旧是第三方物流合同中的主要部分。

在某些情形下,第三方物流经营者是行纪人,第三方物流合同就具有行纪合同的性质。如在第三方物流企业无法提供完全的物流服务时,基于客户的要求可作为行纪人与其他物流服务企业签订合同,代客户完成某些事项,并履行相应的权利和义务,因此在此种情况下第三方物流合同具有行纪合同的性质。

当第三方物流经营人以分包的形式提供物流服务时,以自己的名义与其他实际履行人签订代理合同,由实际履行人办理部分事项,因此第三方物流合同的当事人之间形成了代理法律关系,第三方物流合同就存在了代理合同的法律性质。跨境电商由于境外入关检验、纳税、支付等一系列问题不熟悉,此时的第三方物流企业除了与分包的物流企业签订有关代理合同外,还会因跨国电商的需求和委托下,与海关、银行等相关金融机构签订代理合同,为其办理货物的报关、报检、纳税、结汇、保险等业务。

综上,跨境电子商务的第三方物流合同可能具有三种法律性质,法律关系较为复杂,而《合同法》和《民法总则》中的规定是原则性的,因此可适用性较差且可操作性不强。

2.第三方物流经营人的法律地位不明确

跨境电子商务中的运输方式多是国际海上运输,因此从《海商法》或相应的国际公约的角度看,第三方物流经营人不同的法律地位可能会导致赔偿范围难以认定、是否具有责任限制以及免责事由是否适用的争议。基于不同情形第三方物流经营人存在不同的法律地位。

第三方物流经营人可被认定为货运代理人。货运代理人是指根据委托人的要求,代办货物运输业务的机构。货运代理人在接受委托后,统筹安排需要运输货物的仓储、装卸、报关、报检等一系列活动。此种服务也是第三方物流经营人所需要提供的基础服务环节,因此从定义的角度看,第三方物流经营人满足货运代理人的定义。

第三方物流经营人也可以具有混合运输经营者地位。当第三方物流经营人除了提供基础服务还承担了与仓储、运输相配套的报关、检验活动时,第三方物流经营人承担的是混合责任。换句话说,这时的第三方物流企业是货运代理人与合同当事人双重身份的经营者,他以承运人的身份签订了合同,签发了自己的单证,收取费用。其身份类似于《海商法》中规定的无船承运人,需分担实际运输的独立合同人的一部分义务。

第三方物流经营人还具有独立合同人的法律地位。当第三方物流经营人独立负责整个物流服务时,包括仓储、运输、加工、装箱、信息处理等问题,此时第三方物流经营人就是独立合同人。然而物流活动是一个持续的过程,第三方物流企业可能会因为分合同的存在承担不同的法律地位。

我国目前的专门立法中尚无明确第三方物流经营者的相关法律地位,物流经营人只能按有关单独服务的法律规定追究其责任,给物流经营人带来了很多不便。

(三)司法程序

由于跨境电子商务具有跨国性的特征,因此传统的司法管辖程序因为国境的不同会有所冲突,会出现管辖权的冲突。根据我国《民事诉讼法》,合同纠纷案件的管辖权一般由被告所在地或者合同的履行地法院行使,由于我国法律没有明确规定跨境电子商务物流纠纷的管辖权,因此适用于《民事诉讼法》的相关规定,但是第三方物流合同涉及的物流环节众多,甚至可能涉及大量分合同,被告和原告可能并没有直接接触对方,被告所在地和合同履行地由于复杂的法律关系难以确定。此外,由于跨境电子商务涉及多个不同国家的当事人,实现跨国诉讼的成本远高于一般诉讼,包括诉讼或仲裁在内的纠纷解决方式也经常难以满足当事人需求,并且跨境执行也是复杂的跨境司法程序。

 

五、跨境电子商务中第三方物流服务法律问题的完善

(一)建立健全跨境电子商务第三方物流的法律制度

目前我国缺乏对第三方物流服务的法律规定,对于第三方物流的法律问题都是参考我国现有规定。然而现有法律规定无法解决上述法律问题,因此建立健全第三方物流法律制度是有必要的。

首先应明确跨境电商第三方物流合同的性质,跨境电商的第三方物流合同本质上是一种混合合同,为客户提供综合性较强的专业物流服使之有别于《合同法》中规定的各种有名合同。第三方物流合同可能涉及多个有名合同和无名合同,并且又具有跨国性的性质,难以简单判断合同的法律性质。因此应对第三方物流合同的法律性质做出明确界定,是否统一规定第三方物流合同的法律性质或不同情形下应适用何种合同规范。同理,对于第三方物流经营人的法律地位也应做出明确界定。

第三方物流合同中可能包括主合同和分合同,二者存在时第三方物流经营人和实际履行人的责任应做出区分,否则在跨越长时间和大范围距离的情况下,发生物流合同纠纷时责任范围难以明确。在此种情况下第三方物流经营人类似于海商法概念中的多式联运经营人或无船承运人,因此相应的责任划分可参考海商法或国际公约,但是无论如何划分都应以保护弱势的消费者为原则。

在立法中应明确网络购物中第三方物流的诉讼管辖。由于跨境电子商务的匿名性导致卖家或生产者的住所地和经营场所不确定,甚至因为互联网的技术性卖家可轻易伪造其IP地址或服务期等, 从而导致消费者难以通过合同法的规定来确定诉讼管辖。同时由于第三方物流服务具有跨国的性质,因此传统的司法管辖程序因为国境的不同会有所冲突,会出现管辖权的冲突。因此有必要在立法中明确有关第三方物流的诉讼管辖权的规定,以便于网络消费者可以通过诉讼的方式来保护自己的合法权益。   

(二)建立物流管理体系

国内立法没有对物流管理的监管部门做出明确规定,因此物流行业的主管部门和管理权限并不明晰。在缺乏监管体系和奖惩机制的情况下,物流行业很难有良性的发展,甚至可能会出于利益售卖消费者的隐私。因此应建立独立的物流管理部门,从政府的角度对第三方物流行业进行监督。

同时可以健全民间组织对物流行业的监督机制。我国现有物流行业协会参与制定了不少相关法律法规和行业标准,但是对于现有的国内物流企业却缺乏监管,更不用说涉及跨境电子商务时对境外第三方物流企业的约束。因此应健全民间组织的监督机制以弥补法律空白。

(三)引入解决跨境电子商务纠纷的ODR

电子商务的飞速发展 ,引起了大量的跨国或跨地区的民商事纠纷。由于网络环境极大地改变了交易的方式 ,使原有的争议解决模式在新形式下遇到诸多困难。为了适应实践的需要 ,欧美国家兴起了一种替代性的在线纠纷解决机制” ,简称ODR (Online Dispute Resolution)

ODR服务是为了快速解决电子商务交易纠纷,遵循行业标准,联合业界专业人员,为企业及其消费者提供的包括在线法律咨询、消费投诉 、协商和解、调解、仲裁,及先行赔付在内的一站电子商务纠纷处理服务,无需进行法律诉讼快捷解决电商交易纠纷。

ODR机制引入第三方物流的纠纷解决中,可以使第三方物流经营人、实际履行人、消费者第三方在任何地点进行商讨和谈判,并且可以聘用任何国家的仲裁员,且不存在司法管辖权的问题。ODR具有便利、成本低廉的特点,因此此类协议相比于诉讼和仲裁更节省多方的时间和成本,更可以平衡双方当事人的权益。甚至如果履行中任意一方反悔,并不影响后续继续诉讼或仲裁。     

 

参考文献:

  1. 定义来源Mba智库,http://www.mbalib.com/201895

  2. 王丰. 跨境电子商务环境下关税法律问题研究[D].大连海事大学,2017.

  3. 王丽萍.电子商务法律法规[M]. 北京:电子工业出版社,2010.39-43.

  4. 赵秋霞“互联网+”背景下跨境电子商务探析[J].科技风,2015(12)25-26.

  5. 龚柏华.跨境购物中的消费者保护[N].上海法治报,2015-03-25.

  6. 中华人民共和国国家标准——物流术语[J].交通建设与管理,2007(10):106-120.

  7. 吴蕊. 跨境电商中的第三方物流法律问题研究[D].天津财经大学,2016

  8. 赵吉敏,刘长虹.军民融合式应急物流体系建设研究[J],物流技术,2010年第5期:140-142

  9. 肖永平,谢新胜.ODR:解决电子商务争议的新模式[J].中国法学,2003(06):145-156 .

 

广州海事法院 大连海事法院 天津海事法院 青岛海事法院 上海海事法院 武汉海事法院 宁波海事法院 厦门海事法院 海口海事法院 北海海事法院 南京海事法院