Good News for Japanese Trade

Abstract

Japan's recent accession to the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) has considerable implications for importers and exporters - and the lawyers advising them. This article considers the implications arising from Japan's accession to the CISG - given Australia's status as a CISG member state - by addressing the background to Japan's accession, the scope of the CISG's application, an overview of the CISG's operation, and how it regulates sale of goods transactions. This article concludes that Japan's accession to the CISG has significantly widened its net in terms of the volume of Australian - Japanese trade captured by the CISG, making it more important than ever for practitioners to be aware of its potential application.

Keywords: CISG, international sale of goods, Australia, Japan