Tag Archives: CISG

Contracts

How Does the CISG Differ from the UCC?

Hopefully you have read our previous blog titled “Contracts for the Sale of Goods & the CISG.” This blog will focus on some of the key differences between the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). When the CISG is applied, the parties often make inaccurate assumptions regarding the existence of a contract between them. For example:

  • The contract may be declared invalid due to its indefiniteness if neither the price nor a formula for calculating the price is set forth. This can be fatal to the contract under the CISG but not under the UCC. If the court must determine the price under the CISG, it will declare the price to be the price charged at the time of conclusion, not the reasonable price standard at the time of delivery that is applied under the UCC.
  • Under the CISG, a revocable offer becomes irrevocable when the offeree mails its acceptance or if the offeree relies on the offer. This gives rise to a potential claim for full contractual damages rather than simply a reliance interest or other quasi-contractual or equitable remedy.
  • If the offer sets a deadline by which it must be accepted, under the CISG the offer is irrevocable until that date. In contrast, the UCC provides that an offer is revocable until it is accepted, with certain strict exceptions.
  • The CISG, in contrast to the UCC, doesn’t require the contract to be in writing or meet any other requirements as to form. In fact, the CISG allows a contract to be proved by any means, including witness testimony.
  • Under the CISG, if the offer and acceptance do not match perfectly (which often occurs when each party uses their own standard forms), the acceptance will be treated as a counter-offer which is often deemed accepted by performance of the contract. This can result in the seller’s terms being applied to the purchase and sale under the CISG, which should be motivation for buyers to opt-out of the CISG. Under the UCC, only the terms that both parties have agreed to will be included in the contract.

Finally, U.S. businesses have a better understanding of what to expect under the UCC because there is extensive case law interpreting it. To ensure that the UCC applies to your international contracts for the sale of goods, make sure your contracts specifically and explicitly exclude the CISG.

To ensure that your contract provides you with the most protection available, contact Leslie S. Marell to schedule an appointment. Our office is located in Torrance, California, but we proudly serve businesses of all sizes from all over the country.

Contracts

Contracts for the Sale of Goods & the CISG

If you have not heard of the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and you conduct business in different countries, you need to read this blog! Many American businesses are shocked when they learn that the CISG and not the UCC may be the applicable law to their contracts when dealing with out of country suppliers/ customers. The CISG has been ratified by the United States, making it qualify as American federal law (and therefore pre-empting state law). Thus, unless the CISG is specifically excluded from a contract that falls within its scope, it (and not the UCC) is the applicable law.

What type of contract falls within the CISG’s scope? In short, any agreement for the sale of goods between parties who have their place of business in different countries that are parties to the CISG (CISG Parties). Determining a parties “place of business” is not always easy. For instance, a US buyer that enters a contract for goods manufactured overseas with a distributor incorporated and with offices in the US may be within the CISG’s scope. Additionally, the CISG can apply in the domestic sale of goods if the parties’ places of business are not in the same country. This would occur in the case of an agreement between a US buyer and a foreign seller for goods to be delivered from the seller’s US store or warehouse.

In determining if a contract is for the sale of goods, it does not have to be solely for the sale of goods. The agreement must concern “predominantly” the sale of goods and not services. This means that an agreement for the sale of goods to be manufactured can fall within the CISG’s scope. An exception can occur if the buyer supplies a “substantial” portion of the materials necessary to manufacture the goods. Additionally, the sale of stocks, investment securities, negotiable instruments and money do not fall within the scope of the CISG.

If the parties want to ensure that the CISG does not apply to their contract, they must include an express statement excluding its application. The statement must be more than saying the contract will be governed by a specific state’s law because the CISG is considered state law. Thus, the contract should specifically declare that the CISG does not apply to the contract.

If the parties wish to opt-out of certain provisions of the CISG but not others, the contract must specifically outline the partial opt-out terms. Also, if the parties to a contract for services or for a mix of goods and services wish to opt-in for the CISG to be applied, they are generally allowed to do so by specifically stating so in the contract.

For more information regarding how the CISG differs from the UCC, please read our next blog or contact Leslie S. Marell to schedule your initial consultation.