Belgium 2 May 1995 District Court Hasselt (Vital Berry Marketing v. Dira-Frost)
[Cite as: http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/950502b1.html]
DATE OF DECISION:
JURISDICTION:
TRIBUNAL:
JUDGE(S):
CASE NUMBER/DOCKET NUMBER: A.R. 1849/94, 4205/94
CASE NAME:
CASE HISTORY: Unavailable
SELLER'S COUNTRY: Chile (plaintiff)
BUYER'S COUNTRY: Belgium (defendant)
GOODS INVOLVED: Frozen raspberries
Reproduced with permission from CISG-Belgium database of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Choice of law by parties before the court for application of CISG
Modification of contract by parties - Article 29 CISG - Oral modification - Not possible due to declaration based on article 96 CISG - Declaration made by Chile
Exemption for non-performance - Article 79 CISG - Sharp drop in market price - No force majeure
Avoidance of contract - Possibility to obtain damages as well
Right to claim damages - Article 74 CISG - Evidences of damage not submitted by plaintiff - Amount of lost profits - Damages calculated ex aequo et bono
Case outline
APPLICATION OF CISG: Yes [choice of law by parties before the court]
APPLICABLE CISG PROVISIONS AND ISSUES
Key CISG provisions at issue: Articles
Classification of issues using UNCITRAL classification code numbers:
12A [Declaration by State preserving domestic formal requirements: effect of reservation under article 96 rejecting article 11 (applicable domestic Statute of Frauds in effect)];
74A [Damages (general rules for measuring): loss suffered as consequence of breach (includes lost profits, cost of storage of goods)];
79B [Impediments excusing party from damages: does not include significant drop in market price of goods after conclusion of contract]
Descriptors:
CITATIONS TO ABSTRACTS OF DECISION
(a) UNCITRAL abstract: Unavailable
(b) Other abstracts
English: Unilex database <http://www.unilex.info/case.cfm?pid=1&do=case&id=263&step=Abstract>
CITATIONS TO TEXT OF DECISION
Original language (Dutch): CISG-Belgium database of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven <http://www.law.kuleuven.ac.be/ipr/eng/cases/1995-05-02.html>; Rechtskundig Weekblad (1995-96) no. 40, 1378-1379; Unilex database <http://www.unilex.info/case.cfm?pid=1&do=case&id=263&step=FullText>
Translation: Unavailable
CITATIONS TO COMMENTS ON DECISION
Dutch: Erauw, [1998] Tijdschrift voor Privaatrecht (TvP 35) 1369 [1515 No. 257, 1519 No. 261, 1520 No. 262, 1524 No. 266]
English: Honnold, Uniform Law for International Sales (1999) 140 [Art. 12], 232 [Art. 29 (effect of oral modification under Arts. 12/96]; van Houtte, 26 International Bus. Law. (1996) 331 [332 n.4]; Bernstein & Lookofsky, Understanding the CISG in Europe, 2d ed., Kluwer (2003) §: 6-19 n.250; §: 6-26 n.313; §: 6-32 n.369; Larry A. DiMatteo et al., 34 Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business (Winter 2004) 299-440 at nn.154, 507; [2004] S.A. Kruisinga, (Non-)conformity in the 1980 UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: a uniform concept?, Intersentia at 136; Article 78 and rate of interest: Mazzotta, Endless disagreement among commentators, much less among courts (2004) [citing this case and 275 other court and arbitral rulings]; [2005] Schlechtriem & Schwenzer ed., Commentary on UN Convention on International Sale of Goods, 2d (English) ed., Oxford University Press, Art. 12 para. 2 Art. 29 para. 2 Art. 74 para. 53 Art. 79 para. 30 Art. 96 para. 3
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