外贸培训刘希洪介绍c&f/cif格式合同中关于装运展期及展期折价的规定:以gafta no.100为例 -九游会国际
在国际大宗商品贸易中,有关装运展期(extension of shipment)的情况极为常见,原因不一而足。
在海运交易中,装运(shipment)通常意味着交货(delivery),因此装运展期也就意味着交货延期,这涉及买卖双方之间经济利益的得失,总得有个说法。为此,双方通常会在合同中做出明确约定。国际上的一些主要商品贸易协会,如伦敦gafta/fosfa等,在其制定发布并被业界广泛采用的格式合同中,也会纳入与装期展延相关的标准条款,供交易双方选择适用。
中国的大宗商品进口,尤其是粮农商品进口业务,采用c组合同是主流,如c&f,cfr,cif等等,在性质上,这几个术语大体类似。尽管是老生常谈,但笔者还是要提醒一句:解释国际大宗商品贸易术语(如常用的c组术语)的规则,除非明确约定,未必是国际商会的《国际贸易术语解释通则》(incoterms),更可能是英国法。换言之,《通则》背景下的cif/c&f术语和英国法背景下的cif/c&f术语,其原则固然类似,但其具体含义则存在差别。
gafta no.100号合同(contract for shipment of feedingstuffs in bulk,cif/ciffo/c&f/c&ffo terms),资格很老,从其前身算起,被几代人使用了150年以上,见证了全球贸易发展变迁的风风雨雨,屡经考验而又历久弥新。一个在业内众所周知且得到普遍适用的标准合同,其意义早已上升为全球性的行业惯例,并具备相应的指导价值。
100号合同目前适用的是于2022年1月1日生效的版本,其第10条(extension of shipment)就是装运展期条款,具体内容如下:
the contract period for shipment, if such be 31 days or less, shall be extended by an additional period of not more than 8 days, provided that sellers serve notice claiming extension not later than the next business day following the last day of the originally stipulated period. the notice need not state the number of additional days claimed.
(笔者意译:合同原定装期若在31天以内/含31天,则允许展延8天,前提是,合同卖方在不迟于原定装期届满的下一工作日之前,向买方发出展期通知。在该展期通知中,无须申明计划展期的具体天数)
sellers shall make an allowance to buyers, to be deducted in the invoice from the contract price, based on the number of days by which the originally stipulated period is exceeded, in accordance with the following scale: -
(笔者意译:合同卖方应根据计划展期的具体天数,参照下列标准,给予买方相应折价。该折价应在根据合同价款开立的商业发票中做相应扣除)
1 to 4 additional days, 0.50%;
5 or 6 additional days, 1%;
7 or 8 additional days 1.50% of the gross contract price.
(这就不翻译了,但注意:最多折价1.5%。)
if, however, after having served notice to buyers as above, sellers fail to make shipment within such 8 days, then the contract shall be deemed to have called for shipment during the originally stipulated period plus 8 days, at contract price less 1.50%, and any settlement for default shall be calculated on that basis. if any allowance becomes due under this clause, the contract price shall be deemed to be the original contract price less the allowance and any other contractual differences shall be settled on the basis of such reduced price.
(笔者意译:如果,合同卖方在向买方发出展期通知后的8天内,未能装运,则合同原定装期视为展期8天,原定总价扣减1.5%,后续任何与违约有关的结价均以此为核算基价。如果,在本条款项下,实际产生了展期折价,则原定合同价格应视为已扣减相应折价,比如在涉及差价计算的情形下。)
笔者强调,格式合同中的标准条款并非业务实践中的标准答案,但类似gafta 100中的标准条款,通常可作为买卖双方谈判的一个有用的框架和起点。