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2024年12月30日，自2025年1月1日起集中受理涉外商事及仲裁司法审查等案件。
2025年2月13日，上海国际商事法庭敲响“第一槌”，由上海一中院院长吴金水担任审判长，审判员何云、刘丽园共同组成合议庭公开审理并当庭宣判了一起国际货物买卖合同纠纷二审案。该案就《联合国国际货物销售合同公约》（以下简称CISG或公约）项下国际货物买卖违约方逾期付款情形下应当支付利息标准问题，在全国法院首次参考适用CISG咨询委员会第14号咨询意见（以下简称第14号意见）作出终审裁判。
本案系一起涉及一家德国公司与一家中国贸易公司之间的国际货物买卖合同纠纷。德国公司向中国公司出售工业配件，交货后多次催讨货款未果，遂向法院提起诉讼，要求支付拖欠货款及逾期付款利息。一审法院支持了德国公司的诉求，中国公司不服，上诉至上海国际商事法庭。
本案的核心争议点之一在于：在国际货物买卖中，买方逾期付款时，利息的起算点和利率标准应如何确定？中国和德国均为CISG缔约国，且当事人未排除公约的适用，因此本案应适用CISG的规定。然而，CISG第78条虽规定买方逾期付款需支付利息，但未明确利息的具体标准，各国司法实践也存在差异。
中国公司主张，利率是《公约》范围之外的问题，参考联合国贸易法委员会《关于〈联合国国际货物销售合同公约〉判例法摘要汇编》意见，利率问题应适用我国国际私法规则，且与我国连接点更多，应当适用中国法律确定利率标准。
德国公司则认为，应参考CISG咨询委员会第14号意见，直接适用债权人营业地即德国法律认定利率，而不需再根据法院地法的国际私法规则指引确定法律。
上海国际商事法庭二审认为，在国际贸易中，可预见性对交易双方至关重要。CISG第7条第1款也强调解释公约要考虑其国际性和促进统一适用。CISG咨询委员会由全球权威专家学者组成，旨在解决各国适用公约的疑难问题，推动公约统一解释和适用，其发布的咨询意见有重要参考价值。
第14号意见指出，公约第78条规定的利息属于对债权人的损害赔偿，可直接适用债权人营业地法律确定利息起算点和利率标准，无需再通过国际私法规则指引。该意见契合CISG 立法宗旨，有利于公约统一适用。
最终，法院以德国公司所在地法律为准据法确定利率标准，并结合其他争议事项认定，当庭作出驳回上诉、维持原判的终审判决。
本案是全国法院首次参照CISG咨询委员会第14号意见作出终审裁判的案例，具有重要的示范意义。CISG作为国际贸易争端解决领域的核心公约，旨在统一成员国在国际贸易中的法律适用。本案的审理体现了我国法院对CISG的精准理解和适用，为推进CISG在全球司法实践中的统一适用贡献了中国样本。该案的审理也彰显了我国法院的国际视野和国际化审判水平，对于推进涉外法治建设，打造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境具有重要实践意义。
《联合国国际货物销售合同公约》于1980年在维也纳通过，已在90多个国家生效实施，堪称国际货物买卖统一法，在国际贸易争端解决中具有举足轻重的地位。中国于1986年加入，1988年公约对我国生效。
CISG是不同国家和法律体系调和的成果，无法涵盖国际货物销售所有法律问题。为推动公约准确理解和统一适用，CISG咨询委员会于2001年成立。委员会发布了超20条咨询意见，涉及合同无效后果、公约适用排除情形、逾期付款利息等多方面，在全球案件争议解决中发挥着越来越重要的作用，本案则是我国法院参考第14号意见作出终审认定的首个司法案例。
《联合国国际货物销售合同公约》是国际商事法律的核心公约之一，中国于1986年起即加入CISG，CISG的精准适用对于我国参与塑造国际贸易新秩序及贯彻“一带一路”倡议均具有重大意义。CISG咨询委员会的成立旨在解决各国裁判实践中适用《公约》遇到的疑难问题，促进CISG的统一解释和适用。本案的创新之处及重要价值在于：CISG未明确规定逾期付款利率标准，上海国际商事法庭通过参考CISG咨询委员会第14号意见，准确理解和适用CISG相关条款，依法平等保护了国际商事交易中的债权人权益，对确保CISG这部国际货物买卖统一法在全球司法实践中的准确适用具有重要意义。该案审理也彰显了上海国际商事法庭的国际视野和国际化裁判水准，为全球司法实践提供了极具价值的参考范例，有力地维护了国际货物买卖法规则的统一适用。
部分上海人大代表、政协委员以及中央电视台、上海电视台媒体记者旁听了本案庭审。
On December 30, 2024, the Shanghai International Commercial Court was officially established. Since January 1, 2025, the Court has had centralized jurisdiction over foreign-related commercial cases and judicial review of arbitration cases, etc.
On February 13, 2025, the Shanghai International Commercial Court held its first court trial. Wu Jinshui, President of the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court, served as the presiding judge. He and judges He Yun and Liu Liyuan formed the collegial panel. They publicly heard and pronounced judgment in court for a second-instance case concerning a dispute on the contract for the international sale of goods. In this case, the Court made a final judgment on the issue of the interest rate to be paid by the defaulting party in the event of overdue payment under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). This is the first time in China that a court refers to the CISG Advisory Council Opinion No. 14 (hereinafter referred to as Opinion No. 14) in a final judgment.
Case Background: International Trade Dispute, Overdue Payment Causes Controversy
This case involves a dispute between a German company and a Chinese trading company regarding a dispute on the contract for the international sale of goods. The German company sold industrial parts to the Chinese company, but after delivery, the German company repeatedly requested payment but failed. As a result, the German company filed a lawsuit demanding payment of the outstanding amount and interest for overdue payment. The first-instance court supported the German company's claim. Dissatisfied with the decision, the Chinese company appealed to the Shanghai International Commercial Court.
Disputed Issue: How Should the Overdue Payment Interest Rate be Determined?
One of the core issues in this case is that, in international sales of goods, when the buyer makes a overdue payment, how should the starting point for interest and the applicable interest rate be determined? In this case, both China and Germany have joined the CISG, and the parties of the contract have not excluded its application, so the provisions of the CISG should apply. However, although Article 78 of the CISG stipulates that interest must be paid in case of overdue payment by the buyer, it does not specify the exact standard of interest rate. There are also differences in the judicial practices in different countries.
The Chinese company argues that the interest rate is an issue outside the scope of the CISG. Referring to the UNCITRAL Digest of Case Law on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the interest rate should be determined according to the rules of private international law in China, and China has a stronger connection in this case, so that Chinese law should be applied to set the interest rate.
The German company, on the other hand, contends that the CISG Advisory Council Opinion No. 14 should be referenced. The law of the creditor's place of business, namely German law, should be directly applied to determine the interest rate, without the need to identify the applicable law through the guidance of the rules of private international law of the forum.
Court Decision: Adopting the CISG Advisory Opinion, Protecting the Creditor’s Rights
The Shanghai International Commercial Court, in its second-instance judgment, held that predictability is crucial for both parties in international trade. Article 7(1) of the CISG also emphasizes that the interpretation of the Convention should consider its international character and the promotion of uniform application. The CISG Advisory Council, composed of global experts and scholars, aims to address challenging issues related to the application of the Convention and to promote its unified interpretation and application. The advisory opinions issued by the Council are of significant reference value.
Opinion No. 14 pointed out that the interest under Article 78 of the CISG is a form of compensation for the creditor’s loss, so the starting point for interest and the applicable interest rate should directly follow the law of the creditor’s place of business, without the need to apply the rules of private international law. This opinion aligns with the legislative purpose of the CISG and contributes to its uniform application.
Ultimately, the Court determined the interest rate based on the law of the jurisdiction where the German company is located, and after considering other disputed issues, rendered a final judgment in court, dismissing the appeal and upholding the original judgment.
Significance: The First Case Demonstrates the Court’s International Perspective and Promotes the Uniform Application of the CISG
This case is the first instance in Chinese courts where the CISG Advisory Council’s Opinion No. 14 was referenced in a final judgment, holding significant exemplary value. As a core convention in the field of international trade dispute resolution, the CISG aims to unify the legal application among member countries in international trades. The trial of this case reflects Chinese courts’ accurate interpretation and application of the CISG, contributing a Chinese sample to the global judicial practice of its uniform application. The case also highlights the the international perspective and internationalized adjudicative ability of Chinese courts. It is of great practical significance for promoting the construction of rule of law in foreign-related matters and creating a top-tier business environment which is market-oriented, rule-based, and internationally competitive.
Introduction to the CISG and its Advisory Council
The CISG was adopted in Vienna in 1980 and has come into force in over 90 countries, making it the unified law for international sales of goods and a cornerstone in resolving international trade disputes. China joined the CISG in 1986, and the Convention took effect in China in 1988.
The CISG is the result of harmonizing different national laws and legal systems, but it does not cover all legal issues in international sales. To promote accurate interpretation and uniform application of the Convention, the CISG Advisory Council was established in 2001. The Council has issued over 20 advisory opinions on specific matters, including the consequences of contract invalidity, exclusions of CISG application, overdue payment interest, etc. These opinions play an increasingly important role in resolving disputes in global cases. This case marks the first judicial decision in a Chinese court where the final judgment is made with reference to Opinion No. 14.
Expert Comment:Pioneering New Judgments，Facilitating the Unification of International Trade Rules
Han Shiyuan (Member of the CISG Advisory Council, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of the School of Law, Tsinghua University)
The CISG is one of the core conventions in the field of international commercial law. China has joined CISG since 1986, the accurate application of CISG is of significant importance for China’s participation in shaping the new order of international trade and for implementing the “Belt and Road” initiative. The establishment of the CISG Advisory Council aims to resolve the challenges encountered in the application of the Convention in the judicial practices in different countries, and to promote its unified interpretation and application.
The innovation and significant value of this case lie in the fact that while the CISG does not explicitly specify the interest rate for overdue payment, the Shanghai International Commercial Court, by referencing CISG Advisory Opinion No. 14, accurately interpreted and applied the relevant provisions of the CISG, thereby ensuring equal protection for the rights of creditors and debtors in international commercial transactions. This is of great significance for ensuring the precise application of the CISG in global judicial practice. The case also highlights the international perspective and internationalized adjudicative ability of the Shanghai International Commercial Court, providing a valuable reference for global judicial practice and strongly safeguarding the uniform application of the rules governing international sales of goods.
Some delegates to the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, members of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee, as well as some media representatives from CCTV, Shanghai TV, etc., attended the trial.
文：刘丽园 陈硕
图片：龚史伟
翻译：施明宇
校对：聂妍铧
值班编辑：郭葭
