INTERNATIONAL SALE OF GOODS

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INTERNATIONAL SALE OF GOODS

• International Business Law
• Olivier BEDDELEEM

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The Vienna Convention

• 1) Diversity of applicable laws
• Example effect of an offer in French and in
  English law
• 2) Enforcement of agreements
• 3) Adoption of the Vienna Convention

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I- Scope

• A- Conditions of application
• 1) International
• Settled in 2 different countries
• 2) Sale
• Definition of a sale
• Professional sales
• 3) Goods
• Movable goods
• Exceptions

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• B- Fields
• 1) Formation, performance, non-performance
• 2) Other fields
• Applicable law
• Example capacity to sign a contract, legality
  of the transaction

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I- Formation of the sale

• Intro Absence of formalism (art 11)

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• A- Offer (art 14-17)
• 1) Definition
• Precision
• Goods sold
• Determination of quantity and price
• Art 55 Price not determined
• Intent
• Criterion Acceptance enough to form a contract

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• 2) Effects of an offer
• Date of effect
• Date of reception
• Retractation
• Example French seller sends an offer to a
  Chinese buyer on Feb 1 to sell 100 computers for
  100.000 euros. He promises to keep his offer open
  for 30 days. The offer arrives in China on Feb 8.

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• Revocation
• Determined time for acceptance
• No determined time for acceptance
• Example French seller sends an offer to a
  Chinese buyer on Feb 1 to sell 100 computers for
  100.000 euros. The offer arrives in China on Feb
  8.

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• B- Answer to the offer (art 18s-25)
• 1) Rejection
• What is rejection ?
• Effect of rejection
• 2) Acceptance
• What is acceptance ?
• Effect of acceptance
• Ways of accepting

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• 3) Counter offer and partial acceptance
• What is a counter-offer ?
• Effect of a counter-offer
• Acceptance of material terms

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II- Performance

• A- Sellers duties
• 1) Delivery
• a) Definition
• Legal definition and common meaning
• b) Importance transfer of risks
• Example French Seller sells computers to a
  Chinese Buyer. The computers get destroyed during
  the carriage by sea, and destroy the container.

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• c) Place of delivery
• d) Date of delivery

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• e) Conformity

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• 2) Transfer of property
• 3) Transfer of documents

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• B- Buyers duties
• 1) Payment of the price
• a) Place of payment
• b) Date of payment

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• 2) Taking delivery and checking

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• 3) Sellers duty to keep the goods
• a) General duty (art 85)
• B) Perishable goods (art 88)

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III- Non-Performance

• A- Different types of liability
• 1) Resolution
• Art 49 Essential breach
• 2) Damages
• Art 74s actual loss and loss of profit
• Art 77 mitigation of damages

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• 3) Anticipated breach (art 71s)
• 4) Interests (art 78)

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• B- Exoneration of liability
• 1) Force majeure (art 79)
• 2) Victims fault (Art 80)