Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning the Jurisdiction of Foreign-Related Civil and Commercial Cases

要点解读 Key Points

中文导读

《最高人民法院关于涉外民商事案件管辖若干问题的规定》（法释〔2022〕18号）是最高人民法院2022年底发布的司法解释，自2023年1月1日起施行。核心是把涉外民商事案件的一审管辖“下沉”到基层法院，并按诉讼标的额重新划分中级、高级法院的管辖标准。外国当事人在中国打官司，“去哪个法院立案”是第一个实务问题，这部规定就是答案。

• 基层法院管辖一审（第一条）：除法律、司法解释另有规定外，第一审涉外民商事案件由基层人民法院管辖——这是最大的变化，此前涉外一审案件基本由中级以上法院管辖。
• 中级法院管辖三类案件（第二条）：一是标的额大的案件，北京、天津、上海、江苏、浙江、福建、山东、广东、重庆为4000万元以上，其他地区为2000万元以上；二是案情复杂或一方人数众多的；三是本辖区有重大影响的。
• 高级法院（第三条）：诉讼标的额50亿元以上，或在本辖区有重大影响的第一审涉外民商事案件。
• 跨区域集中管辖（第四条）：高级法院确有必要的，经报最高人民法院批准，可指定一个或数个基层、中级法院跨区域集中管辖，并向社会公布管辖区域。
• 专门审理（第五条）：涉外民商事案件由专门的审判庭或合议庭审理。
• 不适用范围与参照适用（第六、七条）：涉外海事海商、知识产权、生态环境损害赔偿、环境民事公益诉讼案件不适用本规定；涉港澳台民商事案件参照适用。

English Key Points

The SPC Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Jurisdiction of Foreign-Related Civil and Commercial Cases (Fa Shi [2022] No. 18), effective January 1, 2023, reallocate first-instance jurisdiction over foreign-related civil and commercial cases — pushing most cases down to primary-level courts and setting amount-based thresholds for higher courts. For any foreign party litigating in China, "which court do I file in" is the first practical question, and these Provisions answer it.

• Primary courts take first instance (Art. 1): Unless otherwise provided by laws or judicial interpretations, first-instance foreign-related civil and commercial cases go to primary-level people's courts — a major decentralization from the previous intermediate-court-centered system.
• Intermediate courts hear three categories (Art. 2): (a) large-amount cases — RMB 40 million or more in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong and Chongqing, RMB 20 million or more elsewhere; (b) complex cases or those with numerous parties on one side; (c) cases of significant local impact.
• Higher courts (Art. 3): First-instance cases involving RMB 5 billion or more, or otherwise of significant impact within the jurisdiction.
• Centralized cross-regional jurisdiction (Art. 4): With SPC approval, a higher court may designate specific primary or intermediate courts to hear cases across regions, with public notice of the jurisdictional areas.
• Specialized adjudication (Art. 5): Foreign-related civil and commercial cases are tried by specialized adjudication tribunals or collegial panels.
• Carve-outs and reference application (Arts. 6-7): Foreign-related maritime, IP, ecological/environmental damage and environmental public-interest cases are excluded; cases involving Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan apply these Provisions by reference.

本页面解读基于公开文本整理，仅供参考，不构成法律意见。具体案件请咨询执业律师。
This summary is based on the published text and is for reference only; it does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for your specific case.