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CISG-online number

144

Case name

New Zealand mussels case

Jurisdiction

Germany

Court

Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)

Chamber

VIII. Zivilsenat (8th panel for civil matters)

Date of decision

08 March 1995

Case nr./docket nr.

VIII ZR 159/94

Claimant 1

Respondent 1

Case History

Seller 1

Buyer 1

Category of goods

3: Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic invertebrates and preparations thereof

Goods as per contract

1,750 kilograms of mussels (origin: New Zealand)

Price

6'475.00 USD (U.S. Dollar)

CISG applicable

yes, Art. 1(1)(a)

CISG applied

yes

Key CISG provisions interpreted and applied

Art. 35(2)(a); Art. 35(2)(b); Art. 39(1); Art. 49(2)

CISG provisions also cited

Art. 25; Art. 38(1); Art. 38(2); Art. 49; Art. 53; Art. 60(b)

Non-provision-specific issues addressed

Relevance of local standards (in buyer’s country or third country) for conformity of the goods

This decision cites the following other CISG-online case 1

This decision is cited by 38

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Las Cascadas Multiservicios S.A. de C.V. v. Operadora Del Sur, S.A. de C.V.
Corte Suprema de Justicia de El Salvador (Supreme Court of El Salvador)
El Salvador, 05 March 2018 – 183-CAC-2017, CISG-online 4595

Hungarian injection moulding tools case
Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)
Germany, 24 September 2014 – VIII ZR 394/12, CISG-online 2545

Cuttings case
Oberlandesgericht Brandenburg (Court of Appeal Brandenburg)
Germany, 03 July 2014 – 5 U 1/13, CISG-online 2543

Impellers case
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Lamborghini hauler case
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz (Court of Appeal Koblenz)
Germany, 10 September 2013 – 3 U 223/13, CISG-online 2472

"Bio Suisse" certified organic juices and oils case
Handelsgericht des Kantons St. Gallen (Commercial Court Canton St. Gallen)
Switzerland, 14 June 2012 – HG.2010.421-HGK, CISG-online 2468

Smallmon v. Transport Sales Limited
Court of Appeal of New Zealand
New Zealand, 22 July 2011 – [2011] NZCA 340 / C A545/2010, CISG-online 2215

Stallion case II
Oberlandesgericht Saarbrücken (Court of Appeal Saarbrücken)
Germany, 30 May 2011 – 4 Sch 3/10, CISG-online 2225

Smallmon v. Transport Sales Limited
High Court of New Zealand
New Zealand, 30 July 2010 – [2012] NZLR 109 / CIV-2009-409-000363, CISG-online 2113

Spanish white wine case I
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz (Court of Appeal Koblenz)
Germany, 22 April 2010 – 2 U 796/07, CISG-online 2290

Used car case II
Oberlandesgericht Hamm (Court of Appeal Hamm)
Germany, 02 April 2009 – 28 U 107/08, CISG-online 1978

Café inventory case
Oberlandesgericht Hamburg (Court of Appeal Hamburg)
Germany, 25 January 2008 – 12 U 39/00, CISG-online 1681

Italian plants case
Landgericht Bamberg (District Court Bamberg)
Germany, 23 October 2006 – 2 O 51/02, CISG-online 1400

Hungarian wheat case
Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe (Court of Appeal Karlsruhe)
Germany, 08 February 2006 – 7 U 1001/04, CISG-online 1328

Business cards case
Cour de Justice de Genève (Court of Appeal Canton Geneva)
Switzerland, 20 January 2006 – C/27176/2001 / ACJC/47/2006, CISG-online 1504

Frozen pork case I
Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)
Germany, 02 March 2005 – VIII ZR 67/04, CISG-online 999

Hydraulic crane case
Landesgericht Salzburg (District Court Salzburg)
Austria, 02 February 2005 – 6 Cg 42/04m, CISG-online 1189

Frozen pork case I
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main (Court of Appeal Frankfurt am Main)
Germany, 29 January 2004 – 3 U 84/03, CISG-online 822

Used textile cleaning machine case
Bundesgericht/Tribunal fédéral (Swiss Federal Supreme Court)
Switzerland, 13 November 2003 – 4C.198/2003, CISG-online 840

Chocolate bars case
Landgericht Ellwangen (District Court Ellwangen)
Germany, 24 February 2003 – 10 O 87/01, CISG-online 2694

Tiles case
Landgericht Saarbrücken (District Court Saarbrücken)
Germany, 02 July 2002 – 8 O 49/02, CISG-online 713

Milk powder case
Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)
Germany, 09 January 2002 – VIII ZR 304/00, CISG-online 651

Milk powder case
Oberlandesgericht Dresden (Court of Appeal Dresden)
Germany, 23 October 2000 – 2 U 1181/00, CISG-online 1935

Rheinland Versicherungen v. Atlarex s.r.l.
Tribunale di Vigevano (District Court Vigevano)
Italy, 12 July 2000 – 405, CISG-online 493

Used component placement machine case
Oberster Gerichtshof (Austrian Supreme Court)
Austria, 13 April 2000 – 2 Ob 100/00w, CISG-online 576

Grinding set for hygienic tissues producing machine case
Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)
Germany, 03 November 1999 – VIII ZR 287/98, CISG-online 475

Yugoslav yarn case
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt am Main (Court of Appeal Frankfurt am Main)
Germany, 23 June 1999 – 7 U 92/98, CISG-online 5660

Medical Marketing Int'l, Inc. v. Internazionale Medico Scientifica, S.r.l.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
USA, 17 May 1999 – CIV. A. 99-0380, CISG-online 387

Medical Marketing Int'l, Inc. v. Internazionale Medico Scientifica, S.r.l.
Ad hoc Arbitral Tribunal
Arbitration, 21 December 1998, CISG-online 1373

Austrian wood case
Oberster Gerichtshof (Austrian Supreme Court)
Austria, 15 October 1998 – 2 Ob 191/98x, CISG-online 380

Grinding set for hygienic tissues producing machine case
Oberlandesgericht Bamberg (Court of Appeal Bamberg)
Germany, 19 August 1998 – 8 U 4/98, CISG-online 482

Czechoslovakian fish case
Oberlandesgericht Jena (Court of Appeal Jena)
Germany, 26 May 1998 – 8 U 1667/97, CISG-online 513

Dynamic page printer case
Bundesgerichtshof (German Supreme Court)
Germany, 04 December 1996 – VIII ZR 306/95, CISG-online 260

Chinese goods case
Schiedsgericht der Handelskammer Hamburg (Court of Arbitration of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce)
Arbitration, 21 March 1996 – Partial Award (on the merits), CISG-online 187

Paprika powder case I
Landgericht Ellwangen (District Court Ellwangen)
Germany, 21 August 1995 – 1 KfH O 32/95, CISG-online 279

Machine case I
Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart (Court of Appeal Stuttgart)
Germany, 21 August 1995 – 5 U 195/94, CISG-online 150

Editorial remark

Decision published in 11

CLOUT number

123

Case identifier in the old Albert H. Kritzer Database

950308g3

Comments on this decision 17

Andrea L. Charters, 'Fitting the “Situation”: The CISG and the Regulated Market', 4 Washington University Global Studies Law Review (Wash. U. Global Stud. L. Rev.) (2005), 1–42, at 37–38 [– in English]

Johannes Daun, 'Öffentlichrechtliche “Vorgaben” im Käuferland und Vertragsmäßigkeit der Ware nach UN-Kaufrecht', Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW) (1996), 29–30 [– in German]

Harry M. Flechtner, 'Funky Mussels, a Stolen Car, and Decrepit Used Shoes: Non-Conforming Goods and Notice thereof under the United Nations Sales Convention ("CISG")', 26 Boston University International Law Journal (B.U. Int'l L.J.) (2008), 1–28 [– in English]

Harry M. Flechtner, 'Decisions on Conformity of Goods under Article 35 of the UN Sales Convention (CISG): the „Mussels Case“, Evidentiary Standards for Lack of Conformity, and the „Default Rule“ vs. „Cumulative“ Views of Implied Conformity Obligations', in: Ingeborg Schwenzer, Yeşim M. Atamer & Petra Butler (eds.), Current Issues in the CISG and Arbitration, The Hague: Eleven International Publishing (2013), 177–194 [– in English]

Martin Karollus, 'Anmerkung zu BGH vom 8.3.1995 - VIII ZR 159/94', Juristische Rundschau (JR) (1996), 23–28 [– in German]

Andrew J. Kennedy, 'Recent Developments: Non-conforming Goods Under the CISG - What's a Buyer to Do?', 16 Dickinson Journal of International Law (Dick. J. Int'l L.) (1998), 319–341, at 329–330 [– in English]

S.A. Kruisinga, 'De wezenlijke tekortkoming als grond voor ontbinding in het Weens Koopverdrag', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Burgerlijk Recht (NTBR) (1998), 267–274, at 271–273 [– in Dutch]

Stefan Kröll & Rudolf Hennecke, 'From New Zealand Mussels to New Zealand Trucks - The (Not So) "Ordinary Use" in Article 35(2)', in: Ingeborg Schwenzer & Lisa Spagnolo (eds.), Growing the CISG: 6th Annual MAA Schlechtriem CISG Conference, The Hague: Eleven International Publishing (2016), 43–59 [– in English]

Ulrich Magnus, 'Anmerkung zu BGH, 8.3.1995 – VIII ZR 159/94', Lindenmaier-Möhring – Kommentierte BGH-Rechtsprechung (LM) (1995), CISG Nr. 2 [– in German]

Hideo Nakamura, 'Conformity of Goods with Regulatory Restrictions: BGH decisions in the mussels and the pork case', 15 Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration (VJ) (2011), 53–64 [– in English]

Burghard Piltz, 'Urteilsanmerkung zur Entscheidung des BGH vom 08.03.1995 - VIII ZR 159/94', Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht (EuZW) (1995), 450–451 [– in German]

Djakhongir Saidov, 'Article 35 of the CISG: Reflecting on the Present and Thinking about the Future', 58 Villanova Law Review (Vill. L. Rev.) (2013), 529–552, at 542–544 [– in English]

Peter Schlechtriem, 'Anmerkung zu BGH, 8.3.1995 – VIII ZR 159/94', Entscheidungen zum Wirtschaftsrecht (EWiR) (1995), 569–570 [– in German]

Ulrich G. Schroeter, Internationales UN-Kaufrecht, 7th ed., Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck (2022), at no. 446 [– in German]

Marco Torsello, 'An International Sales Law for Agri-food Products: An Overview of Controversial Issues and the Feasibility of a Sector-specific Global Law', in: Eppur si muove: The Age of Uniform Law – Essays in honour of Michael Joachim Bonell to celebrate his 70th birthday, Rome: UNIDROIT (2016), 1829–1854, at 1834–1835 [– in English]

Claude Witz, Recueil Dalloz (D.) (1997), somm., 217–218 [– in French]

Bruno Zeller, Rachel Chan & Camilla Baasch Andersen, 'To Know or Not to Know in the CISG: Can an Analogy between CISG Articles 35 and 42 Challenge the Outcome of the 1995 New Zealand Mussels Case?', International Trade Law & Regulation (Int. T.L.R.) (2019), 11–25 [– in English]

Full text, translation and abstract of decision 3