商务英语case_study.doc

case study 【Case 1】CIF or Not? An import and export company H in China signed with a British company D a contract on CIF basis, whereby company H exported some light industrial products to company D. There were two special clauses in the contract: (1). “The goods must be shipped to a port in Britain from Shanghai in October 1996; the relevant L/C opened by company D should reach company H by the end of August; company H must guarantee that the loaded vessel arrive at the destination not later than December 1. (2) should the loaded vessel arrive at the port of destination later than December 1, company D is entitled to cancel the contract. If the payment has been made at the time, it must be returned to company D exactly the amount.” After that, in the course of clearing up contract files, a controversy arose in company H about the nature of this CIF contract. Some people held the opinion that the contract was on CIF basis in spite of the two particular terms, giving following reasons: firstly, the contract was signed under the trade term of CIF, which indicated the nature of the contract; secondly, company D made such special requirements only to protect their benefits; thirdly, the contract provided payment by L/C, which was in accordance with CIF term’s characteristic of payment against documents. Others believed that according to INCOTERMS 2000, the seller’s delivery obligations are fulfilled as long as the seller has completed shipment of goods at the appointed point and handed over to the buyer documents stipulated in the contract and so the seller is not required to guarantee the arrival of goods at the destination. Therefore, this contract was a false CIF contract, as it changed the nature of CIF term by taking physical delivery as a condition of fulfillment. The contract must be renegotiated. Finally, company H reached a common perception and got the two special clauses amended through negotiation with company D. The contract was carried out smoothly. Analys