Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NEGOTIATING DELIVERY
The common way: plan for the contract to come into existence in 2 steps: 1 is
on signature (the signature date), 2 is when the preconditions for the sale have
been meet (the date of coming into force)
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It is not usually a calendar date, but the date on which the last precondition is met, and
common preconditions are:
If the contract has not come into force by this date => no contract
Common in Fixed-price contracts: a long delay can make the price unrealistic
Cut-off date is the date that after that day, if the contract does not come into
force, it becomes null and void
How does the date of coming into force affect the delivery date?
The delivery date is normally fixed for a certain number of days after the
contract has come into force
Grace period is extra time allowed for meeting with requirement, satisfaction of
an obligation, or implementation of an agreement.
Grace period is used for encouraging the seller to make early delivery.
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What is force majeure? What can parties do if the Force majeure events continue
too long?
Force majeure is unavoidable circumstances, such as: acts of god, floods, fires,
epidemics, strikes, war, governmental regulations…
If the Force majeure event continues for too long, both parties should have the
right to terminate the contract.
What are the two remedies given to the Buyer for any unexcused delay?
The court may order the exporter to fulfill his obligations, this means issuing a
decree of specific performance (sắc lệnh yêu cầu thi hành nghĩa vụ hợp đồng)
requiring the exporter to make delivery as agreed
The court may require the exporter to pay the buyer compensatory damages-
a sum of money that will fully and adequately compensate the buyer for any
measurable loss.
What questions do the court ask in setting a figure for compensatory damages for
late delivery?
Was the loss reasonably close to the breach in the chain of events?
Was the loss “mitigated”? – Did the buyer take reasonable steps to keep the
loss as small as possible?
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What are liquidated damages? Penalties? Quasi-indemnity? Explain the differences
between them?
Liquidated damages: A fair figure, a lump sum to be paid per day (week or
month) of late delivery
Penalties: the amount of money that the seller pay to the buyer
Port of loading
Port of unloading
The place of delivery is doubt important to the seller because the date of
payment normally depends on the place and time of delivery
At the place of delivery, risk and title to the goods often pass
2 aspects of transportation?
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Physical safety of the goods which means appropriate packaging and correct
marking
Correct documentation
3 packaging problems:
Some national laws require fumigation of all containers entering the country
A marine bill of lading: must indicate that the goods have been loaded on board
on a name vessel. A marine BL can be made into a negotiable document by
typing the word “order”
An air waybill
Clean shipping documents? What aspects of the goods does the carrier inspect?
Clean shipping documents are the documents which are free of note or have
notes but they are not affected to the quality of the goods, and can be
acceptable in their line of business
The carrier inspects not only the goods themselves, but also their packaging
and general appearance. Common notes include:
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Contents leaking
Packaging broken/holed/torn/damaged/contaminated
Goods damage/scratched
Goods chafed/torn/deformed
….
Receipt of goods
Point of delivery is decisive: up to the delivery, the export insures; after that.
The buyer insures
Certificate of insurance?
Each individual shipment is covered by it, not a full insurance policy (a full policy
can be issued if the buyer wants it).
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Has no legal force except as evidence in a law suit against the exporter
o Floating policy (HĐ bảo hiểm bao): set up for a particular time and
automatically expires unless renewed
o Unvalued policy (HĐ BH không định giá): the value is not stated, and
can be naturally established; after the loss, the exporter must prove his
figures
Tailor-made policy: a single policy for a single shipment (other above are not)
Cargo clause A, B or C
Cargo clause A: the widest insurance coverage, the insured pays the highest
premium for total coverage
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Cargo clause B: a more restrictive coverage, the insured pays a moderate
premium because only the more valuable items or partial cargo coverage
Cargo clause C: the most restrictive coverage, the insured pays the lowest
premium
What costs the exporter may pay after the point of delivery
4 categories of Incoterms:
C-terms: involve delivery in the exporter’s country, with extra costs for the
exporter after delivery
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CHAPTER II. NEGOTIATING PRICE & PAYMENT
Exporter should quote a price that relates to the complete set of contract terms:
size of order, terms of delivery, warranty provisions and so on
The way that a buyer chooses to compensate the seller of the goods or services
that is also acceptable to the seller
Because trade within a country is based on a mixture of trust and the close
proximity of courts of law; however, in international trade, trust is rare and courts
are far away and unpredictable.
Cash-in-advance
Open account
Documentary collections
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Documentary credits
Cash in delivery
Cast against invoice – typical open account transaction: receive an invoice and
have a certain time to pay it
Cash with order – the seller ask for 100% prepayment as security
An open account transaction is a sale where the goods are shipped and
delivered before payment is due
The exporters are seriously at risk. If anything goes wrong – if the check is not
honored by the bank, or if the buyer files for bankruptcy or simply disappears,
the exporter is in a poor position to claim payment
What does the exporter suffer from late payment? And what is an incentive for early
payment?
The exporter must borrow money, perhaps on a high rate of interest, until he is
paid
These are either calendar dates (19th October), or interval times (within 30 days
of the date of invoice)
When the buyer instructs the bank to pay (buyer prefers most)
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When the buyer’s bank transfers fund
When funds reach the seller’s bank account (seller prefers most)
Because late payment is subject to payment of interests and the cost of any
delay along the payment route properly belongs to the buyer
Delay in payment might be excused during a grace period, though it’s unusual
Most commonly, the force majeure event excuses delay, but in fact, it seldom
makes sense in the context of contract
What payment does the importer have to pay the exporter in case of late payment?
It is generally agreed that the exporter has the right to be compensated for
losses due to late payment. What happened in practice depends on the
payment agreement negotiated by the parties
Typically, the buyer has to pay an interest on the amount unpaid during the
period of delay. The interest payable is simply added to the outstanding sum
o Export credit insurance: allows the exporter to recover the major part of
the contract price if the buyer fails on due date
o Bank guarantee: the bank will pay for the contract price if the buyer fails
to do so
The insurer has used its network to run some checks on the buyer and found
the buyer un-creditworthy - a sign to the exporter that the business is risky
It might also mean that the insurer has check on the exporter and found some
problems: a criminal record, or a history of unpaid insurance premiums
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The type of goods exported
A long wait between the time when the buyer fails to pay and the time when
insurance company compensates the exporter
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Non-performance – Performance Guarantee: if the exporter works badly or not
at all, then the guarantor will pay, within stated limits, the costs of your failure
to perform; 5-10% of the price
The moment that the beneficiary demands payment under the guarantee, the
bank will pay. Naturally, the bank will withdraw immediately the money it has
paid from the account of the principal
Bank guarantee?
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Long wait for compensations Demand guarantee: abuse and
Limitations Not 100% contract price court arise Conditional
“Bad faith” from buyer guarantee harsh conditions
In a letter of credit situation, documents are exchanged for money – that is why
letters of credit are formally called Documentary credit
The issuing bank asks a bank in the exporter’s country to advise the exporter
that the L/C has been opened
The advising bank advises the exporter that the L/C has been opened
The advising bank checks the documents and pays the exporter if appreciate
The advising bank notifies the issuing bank that the credit has been presented
and forwards the shipping documents
Autonomy
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o L/C is an agreement by a bank to pay money against document
Strict compliance
o Bank will only pay if the shipping documents are exactly in line with the
buyer’s instruction
Ask the buyer to instruct the bank to change the terms of the L/C (issue an
amendment)
Ask the bank to process the L/C with the discrepancies but to pay only when
the issuing bank permits payment
What can be done by the exporter when the L/C is nearly its expiry date?
Must contact the buyer and ask to instruct the issuing bank to extend the date
of credit
Revocable L/C can be amended, cancelled by the issuing bank of the buyer
without prior notice to the beneficiary
The seller will usually want a bank in their country to check that the L/C is valid.
The seller may require the L/C to be confirmed by the bank that checks it. By
confirming the L/C, the second bank agrees to guarantee payment even if the
issuing bank fails to make it
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Unconfirmed L/C: the advising bank forwards the unconfirmed L/C directly to
the exporter without adding its own undertaking to make payment or accept
responsibility for payment at a future date, but confirming authenticity.
The exporter presents the necessary documents to the paying bank (confirming
bank)
The bank checks the documents, and if they are in order, the bank pays the full
face value of the letter of credit
The paying bank agrees to pay the seller the face value of the credit when it
matures (often a number of days after delivery)
If the seller needs money immediately, he can exchange the L/C for cash (at a
discount) with any agreeable bank
Settlement by Acceptance
The seller presents to the accepting bank the documents and a bill of exchange
drawn usually on the buyer
If the seller needs money immediately, he can exchange the L/C for cash (at a
discount) with any agreeable bank
Settlement by Negotiation
The seller presents to the negotiating bank the documents and a bill of
exchange drawn usually on the buyer
Commercial invoice
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Transport document
Insurance document
Specification: the buyer applies for the L/C specifying the agreed
documentation
Verification: the exporter checks the credit to see that required documentation
is as agreed
Segments in a L/C
Applicant Confirmation
Beneficiary Availability
Partial shipment is simply an incomplete shipment with some part of the goods
to follow later
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CHAPTER III. NEGOTIATING INSPECTION AND DEFECTS
LIABILITY
To ensure that customers get what they pay for. No manufacturer produces
perfect products every time, and quality is a key to get customer satisfaction.
When customer is in another country, distance makes communication,
transport, inspection, payment expensive and time-consuming.
It is the conflict arising in the exporter’s own team: the marketing manager is
eager to sell brilliant products, but the production department knows that it
cannot make them
It offers vital protection to both side. The buyer can reject any item that fails to
meet specification. The seller can be protected too: When all the goods meet
specifications, the buyer cannot find any excuse for rejection or for exaggerated
defects liability claims.
Ex:
Prevent exporter and buyer agreeing an unrealistically low invoice price to avoid
custom duties in the buyer’s country
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What is the real inspection for goods?
It is called “open package inspection” – the buyer’s inspection. The buyer has the
right to inspect the goods when they arrive and to reject them if they are incorrect
1, inspection: When are the goods inspected? When can the buyer to reject them?
4, timing: How long is the defects liability period? When does it start? What about
other timing?
Defects that only come to light after buyer’s acceptance, or hidden defects
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Ex: structural weakness, failure to operate at high/low temperature, high fuel
consumption….
Warranty claims buyer can make even if exporter doesn’t express it in the contract
Implied warranty of conformity with contract (Bảo hành mặc thị về sự phù hợp với
HĐ)
Implied warranty of merchantable quality (Bảo hành mặc thị về phẩm chất thương
mại)
Implied warranty of fitness for intended purpose (Bảo hành mặc thị về phù hợp với
mục đích sử dụng)
What are the similarities and differences between a guarantee and a warranty?
Differences:
Guarantee Warranty
Content Contract to perform the State of the subject of contract
promise/discharge the liability
Parties 3 (guarantor, principal, beneficiary) 2 (seller and buyer)
Essence Promise about somebody else’s Commitment of seller to cure defects
performance of products/services in a fixed period
Purposes To obtain loan To enhance their value
Credit purchases/sales Show of quality
Good conduct Assurance of product
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Defective workmanship - Ex: a radio lacks the wires connecting the loudspeaker to
the amplifier
Defective materials - Ex: tractor wheels that should be galvanized are simply
painted with anti-rust paint
Fair wear and tear – Ex: the plastic handle on an electric drill is scratched after 6
months use
It is a period agreed by parties to specify the liability with the defects of the goods
Seller should reject the clause altogether; if rejection is impossible, he can – and
should – break the chain warranty with a cut-off clause
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Return the goods and refund the price
Because that means the deal is a total loss for the exporter
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CHAPTER IV. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK
What are the six steps in negotiating the legal framework of the Contract?
What are the main differences between Anglo-American Law &Continental Law?
Predictable
Brief
Nationally accepted
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Justice in the individual case
Internationally accepted
when two parties achieve a meeting of minds. One party makes an offer and
another party accepts it
People who lack contractual capacity: children, the feeble-minded and drunks
It means “beyond its power”. Under the public law of many countries, a
company only sign a contract that is within its power. A contract that is ultra
vires is unenforceable
Agreements in which one side has only rights and the other side has only duties
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Agreements in which both sides have rights and duties
Agreements in which one side has only rights and the other side has only duties.
It is not a contract and is not governed by contract law
The final written version of the contract that replaces all previous agreement
between the parties
Because if a dispute arises, the recital allows the court to discover the real
meaning of the contract though an understanding of the expectations of the
parties when they signed it
2 kinds of termination:
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It occurs when one party (usually the buyer) simply decides to drop the contract.
No reason is required. The buyer must pay for all work performed or partly
performed
It occurs when the contract names certain defaults which allow one side
(usually the buyer) to terminate
What is Cancellation?
It occurs when either party puts an end to the contract for breach, and the other
side has the right to demand cancellation of the contract
The contract is cancelled when one side has breached and the other side
simply refuses to proceed
What is Rescission?
Public, expensive, time-consuming and the results are often legalistic rather
than business like
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What does the arbitration clause specify?
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