Commercial Law: Introduction to International Sale of Goods

Module code: LW3312

When studying this module, you will learn the key terms and practices of contractual transactions involving international sale of goods and carriage by sea.

This module covers international sale of goods arrangements on standard terms for the transport of goods by sea such as free on board (f.o.b.) and cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) contracts.

This means you will consider aspects of bills of lading relating to the carriage of the goods by sea, and payment of the price by means of a letter of credit. In simple terms, the module deals with the reciprocal rights and obligations of the parties to the contracts, and the remedies where the contract fails to run according to plan.

You will expand your knowledge and investigate what can go wrong with such contracts, the available remedies when things do go wrong such as when goods are lost at sea or misdelivered, were never loaded, or are damaged in transit. You will find out how the law of England and Wales deals with key problems arising from the transactions and ways in which comparable solution found in other common law jurisdictions are applied to certain of the points considered in the courts in the resolution of those disputes.

Topics covered

• Carrier’s obligations, immunities, and liabilities
• International sales comprising FOB AND CIF contracts
• Ascertaining the law applicable to the transactions
• Aspects of bills of lading.
• Documentary credits