An International Approach to the Interpretation of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) as Uniform Sales Law

545 Pages·2007·8.09 MB·English

by  John Felemegas

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AnInternationalApproachtotheInterpretationoftheUnitedNations
ConventiononContractsfortheInternationalSaleofGoods(1980)as
UniformSalesLaw
In 1980, the United Nations Convention for the International Sale of Goods
(CISG)cameintobeingasanattempttocreateauniformcommercialsaleslaw.
Thisbookcomparestwomajorrestatements–theUNIDROITPrinciplesand
thePrinciplesofEuropeanContractLaw(PECL)–withCISGarticles.Inthis
workscholarsandlegalpractitionersfromtwentycountriescontributeanalysis
onthevariousissuescoveredinthearticlesoftheCISG,comparingthemwith
how each issue is treated in the UNIDROIT and PECL restatements. The
introductorysectionofthebookaddressestheoreticalandpracticalissuesofthe
appropriateinterpretivemethodologyasmandatedinCISGArticle7,anditis
followedbyindividualanalysesoftheConvention’sprovisions.
JohnFelemegasisaSeniorLecturerinLawattheFacultyofLaw,Universityof
Technology,Sydney,whereheteachesInternationalSaleofGoodsandEquity&
Trusts.HealsoconductslegalresearchandwritingasFellowoftheInstituteof
InternationalCommercialLaw,PaceUniversitySchoolofLawinNewYork.His
mainresearchinterestistheinterpretationoftheCISG,andhehaspublished
his work in the Review of the Convention on Contracts for the International
SaleofGoods,thePaceInternationalLawReview,andtheVindobonaJournal
ofInternationalCommercialLawandArbitration.
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An International Approach to the
Interpretation of the United Nations
Convention on Contracts for the
International Sale of Goods (1980) as
Uniform Sales Law
Edited by
john felemegas
B.A.,LL.B.,LL.M.,Ph.D
SeniorLecturerinLaw
UniversityofTechnology,Sydney
Thisworkwasproducedundertheauspicesofthe
PaceInstituteofInternationalCommercialLaw
iii
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITYPRESS
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Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
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©JohnFelemegas2007
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First published in print format 2007
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ISBN-13 978-0-521-86872-3 hardback
ISBN-10 0-521-86872-6 hardback
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Contents
Foreword,byEricE.Bergsten page ix
Contributors xiii
PARTONE. INTRODUCTION
Introduction,byJohnFelemegas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
PARTTWO. CISG–UNIDROITPRINCIPLESCOMPARATIVE
EDITORIALS
Art.6CISG–UP,byBojidaraBorisova[Bulgaria] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Art.7CISG–UP,byUlrichMagnus[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Art.8CISG–UP,byJosephM.Perillo[U.S.A.]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Art.9CISG–UP,byJorgeOviedoAlban[Colombia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Art.10CISG–UP,byAllisonE.Butler[U.S.A.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Art.11CISG–UP,byChantalNiggemann[Germany] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Art.13CISG–UP,byAndreaCharters[U.S.A.]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Art.14CISG–UP,byJorgeOviedoAlban[Colombia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Art.16CISG–UP,byAndreaVincze[Hungary] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Art.17CISG–UP,byStephenSmith[U.S.A.]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Art.18CISG–UP,byJorgeOviedoAlban[Colombia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Art.20CISG–UP,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Art.21CISG–UP,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Art.22CISG–UP,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Art.24CISG–UP,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Art.25CISG–UP,byRobertKoch[Germany] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Arts.26/39CISG–UP–PECL,byCamillaBaaschAndersen[Denmark] . . . . . . . . 133
Art.27CISG–UP–PECL,byChengweiLiu[China] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Arts.28,46,62CISG–UP,byJohnFelemegas[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Art.29CISG–UP,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Art.35CISG–UP–PECL,byRene´ FranzHenschel[Denmark]. . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Art.37CISG–UP,byBertramKeller[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Arts.47/49CISG–UP,byRobertKoch[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Art.48CISG–UP,byChrisKee[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Art.55CISG–UP,byJumpitaRuangvichatron[Thailand]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Arts.63/64CISG–UP,byRobertKoch[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Arts.71/72CISG–UP,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207
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Art.74CISG–UP,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Art.75CISG–UP,byBojidaraBorisova[Bulgaria]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Art.76CISG–UP,byBrunoZeller[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Art.77CISG–UP,byElisabethOpie[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Art.78CISG–UP,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Art.79CISG–UP,byAlejandroM.Garro[Argentina] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Art.80CISG–UP,byFriederikeScha¨fer[Germany] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Arts.81/82CISG–UP,byFlorianMohs[Switzerland] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
PARTTHREE. CISG–PECLCOMPARATIVEEDITORIALS
Art.6CISG–PECL,byUlrichG.Schroeter[Germany] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Art.7CISG–PECL,byJohnFelemegas[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268
Art.8CISG–PECL,byMajaStanivukovic[Serbia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Art.9CISG–PECL,byAnjaCarlsen[Denmark]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
Art.10CISG–PECL,byAllisonE.Butler[U.S.A.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Art.11CISG–PECL,byAllisonE.Butler[U.S.A.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Art.13CISG–PECL,byUlrichG.Schroeter[Germany] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Art.14CISG–PECL,byPredragN.Cvetkovic[Serbia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Art.16CISG–PECL,byOrkunAkseli[Turkey] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Art.17CISG–PECL,byCeciliaCarrara[Italy]&JoachimA.Kuckenburg
[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307
Art.18CISG–PECL,byCeciliaCarrara[Italy]&JoachimA.Kuckenburg
[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Art.19CISG–PECL,byPilarPeralesViscasillas[Spain]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316
Art.20CISG–PECL,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Art.21CISG–PECL,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Art.23CISG–PECL,byPilarPeralesViscasillas[Spain]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329
Art.25CISG–PECL,byHossamEl-Saghir[Egypt]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335
Art.28/62CISG–PECL,byJarnoJ.Vanto[Finland] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Art.29CISG–PECL,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Art.31/57CISG–PECL,byChengweiLiu[China] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Art.33/52(1)CISG–PECL,byColinYing[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360
Arts.45/61CISG–PECL,byChengweiLiu[China]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Art.46CISG–PECL,byJarnoJ.Vanto[Finland] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Arts.47/49(1)(b)CISG–PECL,byBrunoZeller[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378
Art.48CISG–PECL,byJonathanYovel[Israel] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Art.49CISG–PECL,byJonathanYovel[Israel] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Art.50CISG–PECL,byJarnoJ.Vanto[Finland] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Arts.51/73CISG–PECL,byChristopherKee[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415
Art.55CISG–PECL,byAndreaVincze[Hungary] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Art.58CISG–PECL,byJohnFelemegas[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Arts.63/64(1)(b)CISG–PECL,byBrunoZeller[Australia]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436
Art.64CISG–PECL,byJonathanYovel[Israel] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Art.65CISG–PECL,byAndreaL.Charters[U.S.A.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
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Arts.71/72CISG–PECL,bySiegEiselen[SouthAfrica] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Art.74CISG–PECL,byPhilippHo¨ttler[Germany]&FriedrichBlase´
[Germany]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465
Art.75CISG–PECL,byBojidaraBorisova[Bulgaria] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Art.76CISG–PECL,byJonathanYovel[Israel] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Art.77CISG–PECL,byBrunoZeller[Australia] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Arts.78/84(1)CISG–PECL,byFrancescoG.Mazzotta[Italy]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .490
Art.79CISG–PECL,byDionysiosP.Flambouras[Greece] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Art.80CISG–PECL,byAllisonE.Butler[U.S.A.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Art.81CISG–PECL,byFrancescoG.Mazzotta[Italy] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Art.82CISG–PECL,byFrancescoG.Mazzotta[Italy] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Arts.85,86,87,88CISG–PECL,byFrancescoG.Mazzotta[Italy] . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Index 525
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Foreword
EricE.Bergsten
ProfessorofLaw,Emeritus,PaceUniversity;
Secretary,UnitedNationsCommissiononInternationalTradeLaw,Retired.
“Overrecentyears,discussionhasintensifiedonpossibleharmonizationofsubstantive
privatelaw,inparticularcontractlaw.”1
Thedreamofunifying,orharmonizing,thelawisanoldone.Forsome,especiallyin
Europe,itisadreamofareturntothegoldenageofajuscommun.Forothersaunified
lawisanimportantsymbolofaunifiednation.2 A moreimmediatelypragmaticdream
isthattheunificationofcommerciallawwillreducethecostoftransbordertransactions
andtherebyincreaseinternationaltrade.Althoughpragmatic,suchadreamisstillideal-
istic.AsstatedinthePreambletotheUnitedNationsConventiononContractsforthe
InternationalSaleofGoods(CISG),
TheStatesPartiestothisConvention,
∗ ∗ ∗
Consideringthatthedevelopmentofinternationaltradeonthebasisofequalityandmutual
benefitisanimportantelementinpromotingfriendlyrelationsamongStates,....
ThequotationthatopensthisforewordisfromaCommunicationoftheEuropeanCom-
mission and was meant to apply primarily to developments in the European Union.
However,itappliesequallywelltodevelopmentswithauniversalapplicationandpartic-
ularlytotheCISG.Todate67Statesthatconductmorethantwo-thirdsofinternational
trade have made the CISG positive law by becoming party to it. The CISG is directly
applicable to international sales of goods in those States, unless the parties to the con-
tractexcludeitsapplication.TheConventionmustbeconsideredtobeamajorsuccess
intheeffortstounifyanimportantaspectofcontractlaw.Thereis,however,asignificant
concern.WillthecourtsinterprettheCISGinaconsistentway?Willtheunificationof
textbeunderminedbyadis-unificationofinterpretation?
ThedraftersoftheCISGwereacutelyawareoftheproblem.TheyprovidedinArticle
7(1)that
In the interpretation of this Convention, regard is to be had to its international character
andtotheneedtopromoteuniformityinitsapplicationandtheobservanceofgoodfaithin
internationaltrade.
UponadoptionoftheCISGbyaState,Article7becomespartofthelawofthatState
andconstitutesadirectiontothecourtsastohowtointerprettheConvention.Neverthe-
less,itisunderstandablethatthejudges,trainedinthelawoftheirowndomesticlegal
system,willhaveahome-Statebiaswhenfacedwiththeneedtointerpretandapplythe
1CommunicationfromtheCommissiontotheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliamentonEuropeanContract
Law,para.1,COM(2001)398Final,11July2001.
2The examples of the Civil Code in France and the BGB in Germany come quickly to mind. A uni-
fied/harmonizedsubstantiveprivatelawinEuropewouldhavethesameeffectforabroadergeographical
area.
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