Case textICC Arbitration Case No. 5713 of 1989Yearbook Comm. Arb'n XV, Albert Jan van den Berg, ed. (Kluwer 1990), p. 70. Copyright owner: The International Council of Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). Reprinted with the permission of ICCA.Issues PresentApplicability of CISG- Applicability of CISG to cases outside its stated sphere of application.Trade Usages, evidence of- CISG provisions on non-conformity as evidence of international trade usages.Non-conformity of Goods, notice of- Time available for inspection and notice of non-conformity (Arts. 38, 39).- The two-year cutoff, proper interpretation of (Art. 39(2)).- Seller's knowledge, significance of (Art. 40).SynopsisStating that "there is no better source to determine prevailing trade usages than the terms of the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods", the arbitration tribunal in ICC Case No. 5713 of 1989 applied the CISG to a case outside the Convention's stated sphere of application. This is consistent with the reference to the provisions of the CISG in ICC Case No. 7153 of 1992 as "generally characteristic of [the law of] sales in all judicial systems" (see footnote *).On the other hand, it is questionable whether the door to the application of the CISG ought to have been opened as wide as it was by the tribunal in ICC Case No. 5713 of 1989. This is the essence of the accompanying case commentary by Richard Hyland which argues that the arbitral tribunal, in this case, mistakenly applied the Convention to the matters at issue. Had the CISG applied, Hyland also questions the tribunal's application of its provisions on notice of non-conformity of the goods.Data on the awardParties: Claimant/counterdefendant: SellerDefendant/counterdefendant: BuyerPlace of Arbitration: Paris, FrancePublished in: UnpublishedSubject matter:- applicable law- Art. 13(3) and (5) ICC Rules- Hague Convention of 1955 on the Law Applicable on the International Sale of Goods- Vienna Sales Convention of 1980- international trade usages- set-off[...]FactsIn 1979, the parties concluded three contracts for the sale of a product according to certain contract specifications. The buyer paid 90% of the price payable under each of the contracts upon presentation of the shipping documents, as contractually agreed.The product delivered pursuant to the first and third contracts met the contract specifications. The conformity of the second consignment was disputed prior to its shipment. When the product was again inspected upon arrival, it was found that it did not meet the contract specifications. The product was eventually sold by the buyer to third parties at considerable loss, after having undergone a certain treatment to make it more saleable.The seller initiated arbitration proceedings to recover the 10% balance remaining due under the contracts. The buyer filed a counterclaim alleging that the seller's claim should be set off against the amounts which the buyer estimates to be payable to the buyer, i.e., the direct losses, financing costs, lost profits and interest.ExcerptI. Applicable Law[1] "The contract contains no provisions regarding the substantive law. Accordingly that law has to be determined by the Arbitrators in accordance with Art. 13(3) of the ICC Rules (see footnote 1). Under that article, the Arbitrators will 'apply the law designated as the proper law by the rule of conflicts which they deem appropriate'.[2] "The contract is between the Seller and a Buyer [of different nationalities] for delivery [in a third country]. The sale was f.o.b. so that the transfer of risks to the Buyer took place in the [country of the Seller]. [The country of the Seller] accordingly appears as being the jurisdiction to which the sale is most closely related.[3] "The Hague Convention on the law applicable to international sales of goods dated 15 June 1955 (Art. 3) regarding sales contracts, refers as governing law to the law of the Seller's current residence . . . (see footnote 2). [The country of the Buyer] has adhered to the Hague Convention, not [the country of the Seller]. However, the general trend in conflicts of law is to apply the domestic law of the current residence of the debtor of the essential undertaking arising under the contract. That debtor in a sales contract is the Seller. Based on those combined findings, [the law of the country of the Seller] appears to be the proper law governing the Contract between the Seller and the Buyer.
[4] "As regards the applicable rules of [the law of the country of the Seller], the Arbitrators have relied on the Parties' respective statements and on the information obtained by the Arbitrators from an independent consultant. . . . The Arbitrators, in accordance with the last paragraph of Art. 13 of the ICC Rules, will also take into account the 'relevant trade usages'."
II. Admissibility of the Counterclaim
(a) Under [the law of the country of the Seller] [. . .]
(b) Under the international t
đang được dịch, vui lòng đợi..
