Law Commons^™

Contract Resurrected! Contract Formation: Common Law – Ucc – Cisg, Sarah Howard Jenkins

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Contractual Excuse Under The Cisg: Impediment, Hardship, And The Excuse Doctrines, Larry A. Dimatteo

UF Law Faculty Publications

This article will examine the law of excuse as espoused in the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). It will examine the relevant case law applying the doctrine of impediment found in CISG Article 79. The question posed in this analysis is whether the word “impediment” relates only to the occurrences of force majeure, impossibility and frustration of purpose events or if it also includes changed circumstances, impracticability and hardship events. For purposes of simplicity, the first set of excuse or exemption doctrines will be analyzed under the heading of “impossibility” and the second set will …

The Hague Principles, The Cisg, And The 'Battle Of Forms', Peter Winship

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This paper considers the relation of the Hague Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) when parties to an international contract of sales refer during negotiations to their standard terms and these standard terms include choice-of-law terms that conflict.

Dodging Windfalls: Damages Based On Market Price, Actual Loss, And Appropriate Awards, John Gotanda

John Y Gotanda

This article draws on the underlying policy of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) to demonstrate that Article 76’s market damages approach permits an aggrieved party in certain circumstances to recover damages in excess of the aggrieved party's actual loss for the breach of the underlying contract. While at first glance this result may appear to be at odds with the principles of full compensation and mitigation, in reality, it is not. It is consistent with the text of the CISG damages provisions. In addition, it effectuates the parties' allocation of risk in …

Book Review: Uniform Sales Law: The U.N. Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods. Dr. Peter Schlechtriem, Manzsche Verlags - Und Universitatsbuchhandlung, Vienna 1986, Pp. 120., Michael C. Doland

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

The United Nations Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods: Guide To Research And Literature, Claire M. Germain

Claire Germain

This article maps research strategies concerning the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and explores some research issues relating to the Convention and its interpretation. More specifically, it provides guidance on where to start, how to find the leading texts, commentaries and practitioners' guides, and where to find the texts of documents. Finally, this article describes some new Internet-based projects, examines where to find additional information, and examines how to keep "up-to-date" with this burgeoning area of international sales law.

Comparative Efficiency In International Sales Law, Larry A. Dimatteo, Daniel Ostas

Larry A DiMatteo

The article employs the method of the economic analysis of law (EAL) in a comparative context. In particular, it assesses the efficiency of select provisions of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). The CISG is the law of the United States and over 70 other countries. It reflects a culmination of a century-old process of failed attempts to achieve an international sales law. The drafting process involved intense negotiation and compromise between representatives of the common and civil law legal traditions. As a result, the CISG provides in an interesting amalgam of civil …

Uniform Application And Interest Rates Under The 1980 Vienna Sales Convention, Franco Ferrari

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Contract Resurrected! Contract Formation: Common Law ~ Ucc ~ Cisg, Sarah H. Jenkins

Sarah H Jenkins

Contract Resurrected!

After the promulgation of the Restatement (Second) of the Law of Contracts with its expanded theory of Section 90, quasi-contract and promissory estoppel were hailed as the only theories needed for recovery. Contract was dead! This was the dominant prospective regarding the continued efficacy of contract and contract law. The contract theorists were wrong. The mushrooming global interdependency among nations demands legal rules and principles to govern exchanges between businesses and reaffirms the value of contract as a juridical tool. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods as a recent promulgation reaffirms the …

Soft Law And The Principle Of Fair And Equitable Decisionmaking In International Contract Arbitration, Larry Dimatteo

Larry A DiMatteo

This article provides a survey of the special relationship between international commercial arbitration and soft law instruments. It briefly traces the historical roots of the lex mercatoria to its present enunciation in the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts. It discusses the characteristic of the hardness and softness of laws in an international commercial law context. The CISG is studied not only as a hard law, but also as an example of soft law. The affinity between soft law and international commercial arbitration is explored, as well as …

Putting The Cisg Where It Belongs: In The Uniform Commercial Code, Kina Grbic

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Chinese Contract Formation: The Roles Of Confucianism, Communism, And International Influences, Amy Lee Rosen

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

China has opened its doors to the world so understanding Chinese contract law is crucial to succeeding in international business transactions. The United States and China are both signatories to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), and both nations have declared that neither are bound under Article 1(1)(b), which means that if a contractual conflict arises, the domestic law of either nation may apply when interpreting the contract. China only requires offer and acceptance whereas the United States requires mutual assent and consideration, so contract interpretation may be problematic. Beyond offer and acceptance, …

Deepening Confidence In The Application Of Cisg To The Sales Agreements Between The United States And Japanese Companies, Yoshimochi Taniguchi

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

Parties to contracts between U.S. and Japanese companies usually agree to exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (“CISG”) from the sales agreement due to concerns about how the CISG will be interpreted and/or incompatibility with U.S. or Japanese law or both. In this paper, the author will suggest that the more countries amend their laws in accordance with CISG standards and the more national courts develop a unified interpretation of the CISG, the more the CISG will represent harmonized law, and as such, contracting parties should not exclude it.

This …

Penalty Clauses As Remedies: Exploring Comparative Approaches To Enforceability, Jack Graves

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Cisg After A Generation (Book Review), Vincent R. Johnson

Faculty Articles

Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, by Franco Ferrari, is a well-conceived and executed reference work. It is a valuable addition to scholarship focused on the 1980 United Nations Convention on the Law Applicable to Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (“CISG”).

In this work, Ferrari tracks the most important features of the CISG. Ferrari provides a brief history of the development and ratification of the CISG, careful consideration of the Convention’s sphere of applicability, its exclusions, and its broad deference to party autonomy. He then addresses two issues of recurring importance, namely those arising from disputes relating …

Cisg As Basis Of A Comprehensive International Sales Law, Larry A. Dimatteo

UF Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Brazil's Adhesion To The Cisg Consequences For Trade In China And Latin America, Edgardo Muñoz

Edgardo Muñoz

Given Brazil’s current international trade volumes, its adhesion to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 1980 (CISG) will mean an important step towards the globalization of international sales law. In this atmosphere of expectancy, a couple of questions come up: Is a further step towards globalization in this something to be celebrated? What are the consequences of Brazil’s adhesion to the CISG for global and regional trade? Before answering these questions through this chapter, we would like to make an introductory comment on globalization and its relationship with the CISG

Apathy Vis-À-Vis The Un Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods (Cisg) In The Uk And Two Proposed Strategies For Cisg's Incorporation In The Uk Legal Order, Katerina Georgiadou

Pace International Law Review Online Companion

The 1980 UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG or Convention) is said to have resulted out of a largely global scholarly jurisconsultorium, as it was drawn up in cooperation between scholars from around the globe. In essence, this article will examine the lack of interest and reluctance on behalf of the United Kingdom (UK) to ratify the CISG by considering the initial reactions of the UK towards the CISG, the UK’s isolationist attitude, the fact that CISG is not a legislative priority in the UK, and the objection to ratification based on unreasonable grounds. Furthermore, …

Construing Laws Governing International And U.S. Domestic Contracts For The Sale Of Goods: A Comparative Evaluation Of The Cisg And Ucc Rules Of Interpretation, Sarah H. Jenkins-Hobbs

Sarah H Jenkins

Some twenty-four years after the effective date of UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and seventy-eight contracting states, U.S. domestic lawyers, judges, academics, and law students remain challenged by the provisions and policies of the Convention. Early on, the practicing bar in the United States ignored or was oblivious to the applicability of the Convention. Some encouraged domestic clients to opt-out of the Convention’s coverage, choosing instead the security of the Uniform Commercial Code, without assessing the viability of the Convention given the client’s business goals or risk tolerance. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct mandate …

Construing Laws Governing International And U.S. Domestic Contracts For The Sale Of Goods: A Comparative Evaluation Of The Cisg And Ucc Rules Of Interpretation, Sarah H. Jenkins-Hobbs

Sarah H Jenkins

Some twenty-four years after the effective date of UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and seventy-eight contracting states, U.S. domestic lawyers, judges, academics, and law students remain challenged by the provisions and policies of the Convention. Early on, the practicing bar in the United States ignored or was oblivious to the applicability of the Convention. Some encouraged domestic clients to opt-out of the Convention’s coverage, choosing instead the security of the Uniform Commercial Code, without assessing the viability of the Convention given the client’s business goals or risk tolerance. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct mandate …

Construing Laws Governing International And U.S. Domestic Contracts For The Sale Of Goods: A Comparative Evaluation Of The Cisg And Ucc Rules Of Interpretation, Sarah H. Jenkins-Hobbs

Sarah H Jenkins

Some twenty-four years after the effective date of UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and seventy-eight contracting states, U.S. domestic lawyers, judges, academics, and law students remain challenged by the provisions and policies of the Convention. Early on, the practicing bar in the United States ignored or was oblivious to the applicability of the Convention. Some encouraged domestic clients to opt-out of the Convention’s coverage, choosing instead the security of the Uniform Commercial Code, without assessing the viability of the Convention given the client’s business goals or risk tolerance. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct mandate …

Construing Laws Governing International And U.S. Domestic Contracts For The Sale Of Goods: A Comparative Evaluation Of The Cisg And Ucc Rules Of Interpretation, Sarah H. Jenkins-Hobbs

Sarah H Jenkins

Some twenty-four years after the effective date of UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and seventy-eight contracting states, U.S. domestic lawyers, judges, academics, and law students remain challenged by the provisions and policies of the Convention. Early on, the practicing bar in the United States ignored or was oblivious to the applicability of the Convention. Some encouraged domestic clients to opt-out of the Convention’s coverage, choosing instead the security of the Uniform Commercial Code, without assessing the viability of the Convention given the client’s business goals or risk tolerance. The Model Rules of Professional Conduct mandate …

Construing Laws Governing International And U.S. Domestic Contracts For The Sale Of Goods: A Comparative Evaluation Of The Cisg And Ucc Rules Of Interpretation, Sarah H. Jenkins

Sarah H Jenkins

CONSTRUING LAWS GOVERNING INTERNATIONAL AND U.S. DOMESTIC CONTRACTS FOR THE SALE OF GOODS: A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE CISG AND UCC RULES OF INTERPRETATION ABSTRACT Some twenty-four years after the effective date of UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and seventy-eight contracting states, U.S. domestic lawyers, judges, academics, and law students remain challenged by the provisions and policies of the Convention. Early on, the practicing bar in the United States ignored or was oblivious to the applicability of the Convention. Some encouraged domestic clients to opt-out of the Convention’s coverage, choosing instead the security of the …

Uk’S Ratification Of The Cisg – An Old Debate Or A New Hope For The Economy Of The Uk On Its Way Out Of The Recession: The Potential Impact Of The Cisg On The Uk’S Sme, Silvia E. Nikolova

Pace International Law Review Online Companion

The main hypothesis of this article is that the Vienna Convention on the International Sale of Goods has the potential to act as a catalyst for the economy of the UK on its way out of the recession and, therefore, should be ratified, as it will strongly affect the development of the SME sector. This hypothesis will be questioned and evaluated throughout the article.

In Part II of the article, the importance of the SMEs for the current economy of the UK will be assessed. Together with Part I, Part II will form the prism through which the remainder of …

International Sale Of Goods 2011, Gregory M. Duhl

Faculty Scholarship

In 2011, U.S. courts analyzed the scope, formation, and remedies provisions of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (“CISG”). Although the number of cases arising under the CISG is relatively small compared with those under the Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.), the cases discussed in this survey remind us that U.S. courts are comfortable in applying the CISG. A comprehensive survey setting forth legal developments in the United States during the past nine years involving the CISG follows the Uniform Commercial Code Survey in this issue of The Business Lawyer. That survey illustrates that the …

Penalty Clauses And The Cisg, Jack Graves

Scholarly Works

Commercial agreements often provide for “fixed sums” payable upon a specified breach. Such agreements are generally enforced in civil law jurisdictions. In contrast, the common law distinguishes between “liquidated damages” and “penalty” clauses, enforcing the former, while invalidating the latter as a penalty. The UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) does not directly address the payment of “fixed sums” as damages, and the validity of “penalty” clauses has, traditionally, been relegated to otherwise applicable domestic national law under CISG Article 4. This traditional orthodoxy has recently been challenged—suggesting that the fate of a penalty clause …

Penalty Clauses And The Cisg, Jack Graves

Scholarly Works

Commercial agreements often provide for “fixed sums” payable upon a specified breach. Such agreements are generally enforced in civil law jurisdictions. In contrast, the common law distinguishes between “liquidated damages” and “penalty” clauses, enforcing the former, while invalidating the latter as a penalty. The UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) does not directly address the payment of “fixed sums” as damages, and the validity of “penalty” clauses has, traditionally, been relegated to otherwise applicable domestic national law under CISG Article 4. This traditional orthodoxy has recently been challenged—suggesting that the fate of a penalty clause …

The Hierarchy That Wasn’T There: Elevating “Usage” To Its Rightful Position For Contracts Governed By The Cisg, William P. Johnson

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Under domestic U.S. sales law, usage of trade is relevant in ascertaining the meaning of an agreement, and it can be used to supplement, qualify, or explain an agreement. However, usage of trade may not be used under domestic U.S. sales law to contradict a written agreement. Moreover, any course of performance or course of dealing between the parties will prevail over inconsistent usage of trade. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, or CISG, similarly provides for consideration of usage to establish the terms of the agreement between the parties, as well as to …

The American Commercial Religion, Haider Ala Hamoudi

Articles

To all but possibly the most senior of commercial law specialists, it is difficult to imagine American commercial life without the nationwide adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code. We would surely regard as impossible the idea that the vast economic success of the latter half of the twentieth century could have been achieved without it. The Uniform Commercial Code is our godhead, our sacred foundational document, our Holy Book of modern commerce, which brought us a form of economic enlightenment from the pre-Code Days of Ignorance. Our attachment to the U.C.C. runs far deeper than a mere rational commercial preference. …

A Adesão Do Brasil À Cisg Consequências Para O Comércio Na China E América Latina, Edgardo Muñoz

Edgardo Muñoz

Neste trabalho, os autores analisam a possibilidade de redução de potenciais riscos legais e de custos de transação advindos da adesão do Brasil à CISG, particularmente no que diz respeito a partes brasileiras, chinesas e latinoamericanas. A falta de previsibilidade das leis aplicáveis e as diferenças substanciais entre as leis internas brasileiras e os sistemas legais de seus principais parceiros comerciais encerram consideráveis riscos legais e altos custos de transação para os comerciantes. Este artigo sustenta que a CISG proporcionará segurança jurídica e regras adequadas para reger contratos internacionais, reduzindo, assim, riscos e custos e contribuindo para a celebração de …