| Summary: | Thesis (LLD (Mercantile Law))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: International sales contracts have very specific needs that stem from the multiplicity
of legal systems which apply to such contracts. In addition to harmonised law,
mercantile custom is able to address many of these needs. Mercantile custom
represents usages which are clear, certain and efficient and are expected to be
known and applied by merchants in a particular trade or region. To this extent
mercantile custom fulfils an automatic harmonisation function.
However, where a custom does not enjoy uniform application across all branches of
trade, the harmonisation function of mercantile custom is limited, as is the case with
trade terms. Trade terms reflect mercantile customs and usages which developed
over a long time in order to simplify the trade in goods that are transported from one
place to the other. They regulate the delivery obligations of the seller and buyer as
well as associated obligations such as the passing of risk. Trade terms negate the
need for elaborate contract clauses and appear in abbreviated form in contracts of
sale. Although they provide a uniform expression of mercantile custom in a particular
location or trade, the understanding of trade terms tend to differ from country to
country, region to region or from one branch of trade to the next. The ICC
INCOTERMS is an effort to standardise trade term definitions at the hand of the most
consistent mercantile customs and practices.
The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency of INCOTERMS as a form of
standardisation in international sales law. For purposes of the investigation the focus
is limited to the passing of risk. Although national laws usually have a default risk
regime in place, merchants still prefer to regulate risk by means of trade terms. This
study will investigate the legal position in the case of FOB, CIF and DDU terms. An
analysis of the risk regimes of a few selected national systems will show that each
has their own understanding of these trade terms. The United Nations Convention on
Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) does not refer to trade terms,
but many commentators have concluded that the CISG risk rule is consistent with
INCOTERMS. The study will discuss this in more detail. To determine the efficiency
of INCOTERMS as a form of standardisation in international sales law, the study
examines their characteristics, legal nature as well as their limited scope of regulation. Specific emphasis is placed on the interplay between the CISG and
INCOTERMS and the possibility of some form of interaction and collaboration
between the two instruments. It is concluded that collaboration between
INCOTERMS and the CISG adds value to the international law of sales by increasing
the efficiency of an international business transaction and thereby facilitating
international trade. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Internasionale koopkontrakte het spesifieke behoeftes wat voortspruit uit die
veelvoudigheid van regstelsels van toepassing op so ‘n kontrak. Baie van hierdie
behoeftes kan aangespreek word deur geharmoniseerde regsreëls in samehang met
handelsgewoontes en –gebruike. Handelsgewoontes verteenwoordig duidelike,
seker en effektiewe gebruike. Daar word dus van handelaars wat in ‘n bepaalde
bedryf of streek handel dryf, verwag om van hierdie gebruike kennis te neem en hulle
toe te pas. In hierdie konteks vervul handelsgebruike ‘n outomatiese
harmoniseringsfunksie.
Waar ‘n gebruik nie eenvormig toegepas word oor alle bedrywe heen nie, is die
harmoniseringsfunksie van handelsgebruike egter beperk. Handelsterme bied ‘n
tipiese voorbeeld hiervan. Handelsterme verteenwoordig bepaalde
handelsgewoontes en –gebruike wat oor ‘n geruime tyd ontwikkel het ten einde
handel in goedere wat van een plek na die ander vervoer word, te vergemaklik. Hulle
reguleer die leweringsverpligtinge van die verkoper en koper asook ander
verpligtinge wat met lewering verband hou, soos byvoorbeeld die oorgang van risiko.
Handelsterme doen weg met lang en omslagtige kontraksbedinge aangesien hulle in
die vorm van afkortings in die kontrak figureer. Alhoewel handelsterme ‘n uniforme
uitdrukking van gebruike in ‘n bepaalde gebied of bedryf verteenwoordig, is dit egter
so dat die inhoud van handelsterme van land tot land, streek tot streek of van een
tipe bedryf tot die ander verskil. INCOTERMS is ‘n poging om die inhoud van
handelsterme te standaardiseer aan die hand van die mees eenvormige
handelsgewoontes en –gebruike.
Die doel van hierdie studie is om die effektiwiteit van INCOTERMS as ‘n vorm van
standaardisering in die internasionale koopreg te ondersoek. Vir doeleindes van die
ondersoek word die fokus beperk tot die oorgang van risiko. Al het nasionale
regstelsels gewoonlik ‘n verstek risiko-reël in plek, verkies handelaars steeds om
risiko by wyse van handelsterme te reguleer. Die studie ondersoek die regsposisie in
die geval van FOB-, CIF-, en DDU-terme. ‘n Analise van risiko-regulering in ‘n aantal
nasionale sisteme toon dat elk hul eie betekenis heg aan die inhoud van hierdie
terme. Alhoewel die Weense Koopkonvensie geensins na handelsterme verwys nie, voer verskeie kommentatore aan dat die Konvensie se risiko-bestel verenigbaar is
met dié van INCOTERMS en sal hierdie aspek gevolglik in meer besonderhede in die
studie aangespreek word. Ten einde die effektiwiteit van INCOTERMS te bepaal,
word daar ondersoek ingestel na hulle kenmerke, regsaard en beperkte
aanwendingsgebied. Spesiale klem word gelê op die wisselwerking tussen die
Weense Koopkonvensie en INCOTERMS asook die moontlikheid van interaksie en
samewerking tussen die twee instrumente. Die gevolgtrekking is dat interaksie
tussen die Koopkonvensie en INCOTERMS waarde toevoeg tot die internasionale
koopreg deur die effektiwiteit van die internasionale besigheidstransaksie te verhoog
en gevolglik internasionale handel te bevorder. === Harry Crossley Fund === NRF Thuthuka Fund
|
|---|
