Global purchasing can look simple until a shipment stalls, payment is disputed, or a supplier denies a warranty. For buyers, a commercial dispute may cross languages, time zones, legal systems, and corporate structures. Business And Commercial Litigation therefore calls for preparation before a disagreement becomes a claim. A signed contract matters. So do the emails, inspection photos, shipping records, and payment terms behind it.
The numbers show why dispute planning deserves attention. Queen Mary University of London and White & Case’s 2021 International Arbitration Survey found that 90% of respondents preferred international arbitration for cross-border disputes, either alone or alongside other methods. The ICC’s 2023 dispute-resolution statistics recorded 890 new arbitration cases. These figures do not predict what any buyer should choose. They do show how often businesses rely on formal dispute mechanisms. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., a legal scholar and former U.S. Supreme Court justice, wrote, “The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience.” The point still resonates. A clause that looks clear at signing may work differently when goods are delayed abroad.
The seven tips ahead focus on practical safeguards: checking dispute clauses, preserving evidence, confirming the proper forum, tracking deadlines, and assessing remedies. They also address when to involve local counsel and how to keep negotiations useful. Even a careful plan can miss something. A dispute over one invoice may expose a weak process across several markets. Rules vary by jurisdiction, so buyers should seek qualified advice for their specific contracts and circumstances.
For global buyers, a governing-law clause can do more than name a country. The CISG may govern an international sale of goods when both parties have places of business in Contracting States. It may also apply when conflict-of-law rules point to the law of a Contracting State, subject to relevant reservations. The Convention has 97 Contracting States, but verify current status and each country’s declarations before signing.
Check the parties’ actual places of business, not just their incorporation addresses. A purchase order sent from one office and accepted by another can complicate the analysis. Confirm whether the transaction is mainly for goods or services, since the CISG generally does not govern service contracts. It also does not decide every issue, such as contract validity or ownership transfer. Small details matter.
Then make the contract’s intent explicit. If the parties want the CISG to apply, say so and specify which issues remain governed by domestic law. If they want to exclude it, use clear language; choosing a country’s law alone may not exclude the Convention. Review any reservations affecting form requirements or other provisions. A clause copied from an old template may look settled, yet still leave room for dispute. A short jurisdiction review before signing can prevent costly uncertainty later.
Check governing law and CISG coverage across its 97 Contracting States
| # | Litigation tip | What to check | Relevant CISG provision | Practical contract or dispute step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Map the CISG’s geographic reach | The CISG may apply to an international sale of goods when the parties’ places of business are in different Contracting States. It may also apply through private international law rules, subject to applicable declarations. The parties’ nationalities are not the test. | Articles 1 and 95 | Record each party’s relevant place of business and check the CISG status, effective date, and any relevant declaration for each state involved. |
| 2 | State clearly whether the CISG applies | Choosing the law of a Contracting State does not, by itself, generally exclude the CISG, because the Convention forms part of that state’s applicable sales law. Parties may exclude it or vary many of its rules by agreement. | Article 6 | Use an express clause stating whether the CISG is included or excluded, and identify the domestic law that will govern matters outside the Convention. |
| 3 | Confirm that the transaction is a covered sale | The CISG excludes certain sales, including consumer purchases in specified circumstances, auctions, and sales of ships, vessels, hovercraft, or electricity. A contract for goods to be manufactured may be covered, but not if the buyer supplies a substantial part of the materials; contracts in which services or labor predominate are also excluded. | Articles 2 and 3 | Describe the goods, manufacturing obligations, buyer-supplied materials, and service components so the transaction’s legal classification can be assessed. |
| 4 | Define specifications and acceptance criteria | The seller generally must deliver goods that meet the contract’s agreed requirements for quantity, quality, description, packaging, and fitness for applicable purposes. The parties can set or modify these obligations in their contract. | Articles 35 and 36 | Attach measurable specifications, approved samples, testing methods, packaging requirements, and a written acceptance process to the agreement. |
| 5 | Inspect promptly and give specific notice | A buyer must examine the goods, or have them examined, within as short a period as is practicable in the circumstances. The buyer generally must notify the seller of a lack of conformity within a reasonable time after discovering it, specifying its nature; a two-year outer limit normally applies from handover, subject to the stated exception. | Articles 38 and 39 | Keep dated inspection records, photographs, test results, delivery documents, and written notices that identify the defect and affected goods. |
| 6 | Assess remedies before declaring the contract over | Avoidance generally requires a fundamental breach, or may be available in certain cases after an additional period for performance expires. The CISG also sets requirements and time limits for declarations of avoidance. | Articles 25, 47, 49, 63, and 64 | Document the breach, its consequences, any opportunity to cure, and the relevant notice dates before sending a termination or avoidance notice. |
| 7 | Separate damages, force majeure, and forum questions | Damages may include foreseeable loss and lost profit, subject to mitigation. Article 79 may exempt a party from damages for a qualifying impediment beyond its control, but it is not a blanket release from every remedy. The CISG does not generally determine court jurisdiction or arbitration procedure, and it does not govern every issue, including contract validity and the effect of the contract on property in the goods. | Articles 4, 74, 77, and 79 | Specify the dispute forum, arbitration arrangements if used, notice process, evidence preservation, and any separate rules that may govern limitation periods or issues outside the CISG. |
The CISG has 97 Contracting States. Its application depends on the transaction, the parties’ places of business, applicable declarations, and the contract terms; verify the current treaty status and obtain jurisdiction-specific advice for a live dispute.
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