THE INTERNATIONAL AND MOOTING COMPETITION

HONG KONG – AUGUST 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT

TEAM NUMBER: 177

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INDEX OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................ iii

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES ......................................................................................iv
INDEX OF CASES AND AWARDS ..........................................................................vi
STATEMENT OF FACTS...........................................................................................1
ARGUMENTS..............................................................................................................3
I.CIETAC HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE DISPUTE......................................3
A．The Jurisdiction of CIETAC Is in Accordance with the Arbitration Agreement
in MOU ...................................................................................................................3
(i) The ADR clause in MOU is the applicable arbitration agreement .............3
(a) Two arbitration clauses exist and both satisfy the form of writing .....3
(b)The arbitration agreement shall be the ADR clause.............................4
(ii)The jurisdiction of CIETAC is in accordance with the agreement of
arbitration.........................................................................................................4
B. The Seat of Arbitration Would Not Be Ego.......................................................4
(i) No seat of arbitration is agreed in the agreement........................................4
(ii)The seat of arbitration would not be Ego considering the neutrality of
arbitration.........................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION ON JURISDICTION .......................................................................5
II. RESPONDENT BREACHED THE CONTRACT AND IS LIABLE TO
CLAIMANT .................................................................................................................5
A. Respondent Cannot Continue to Supply Grain after April 2009 .......................6
(i) Respondent failed to export gain out of the second port in Ego .................6
(ii)Even if Respondent’s failure to use the smaller port was reasonable, it did
not act in good faith to overcome consequences of the privatization of the
main port ..........................................................................................................6
(a) Respondent did not try its best in the tender for the main port ...........6
(b) Respondent did not find new exporters positively ..............................7
(iii) Hardship or force majeure does not excuse respondent’s
non-performance ..............................................................................................7
(a) The four-prone requirements formulated in hardship had not been
fulfilled......................................................................................................7
(b) Force majeure does not give a ground for not assuming liability ......8
B. The Grain Which Respondent Delivered Did Not Match the Quality
Requirements ..........................................................................................................8
MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO. 177) i
 C. Claimant Is Entitled to Damages due to Wrong Labeling Made by Respondent
.................................................................................................................................9
D. To Find Another Supplier Did Not Imply Claimant Breaching The Contract.10
CONCLUSION ON SUBSTANSIVE ISSUES........................................................ 11
RELIEF REQUESTED .............................................................................................13

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) ii

 INDEX OF ABBREVIATIONS

Art. Article

CIETAC China International Economic and Trade

Arbitration Commission

Ego The Federal Republic of Ego

Ex. Exhibit

HKIAC Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

ICC The International Chamber of Commerce

Id the Republic of Id

Model Law UNCITRAL Model Law on International

Commercial Arbitration (as amended in 2006)

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NY Convention United Nations Convention on the Recognition

and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards

PICC UNIDROIT Principles of International

Commercial Contracts of 2004

Sun the Kingdom of the Island of Sun

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) iii

 INDEX OF AUTHORITIES

Elisabeth Opie Commentary on the manner in which the UNIDROIT

Principles may be used to interpret or supplement Article 77

of the CISG

January 2005

http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/text/anno‐art‐77.html#uni

(Cited as: Elisabeth)

(Para: 22 )

Gary B.Born International Arbitration and Forum Selection Agreement:

Drafting and Enforcing (second edition)

Kluwer Law International Press

2006

(Cited as: Gary B.Born)

(Para: 7 )

John Felemegas An International Approach to the Interpretation of the United

Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales

of Goods (1980) as Uniform Sales Law

Cambridge Press

2007

(Cited as: John Felemegas)

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) iv

 (Para: 17 )

Richard Schaffer International Business Law and Its Environment

Filiberto Agusti Cengage Lerning, Inc.

Beverley Earle 2009

(Cited as: Richard)

(Para: 17 )

UNIDROIT 2004 UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial

Rome Contracts

Published by the International Institute for the Unification of

Private Law, Rome

2004

(Cited as: UNIDROIT 2004 Rome)

(Para: 15 & 17 & 22)

UNCITRAL The UNCITRAL Digest of case law on the United Nations

Convention on the International Sale of Goods

2004

http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/text/anno-art-77.html

(Cited as: UNCITRAL Digest)

(Para: 22 )

Model Law UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial

Arbitration (as amended in 2006)

New York United Nations Convention on the Recognition and

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) v

 Convention Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards

INDEX OF CASES AND AWARDS

Canada Nova Tool v. London Industries, Ontario Court

of Appeal

Date: 26 January 2000

(Cited as: Nova)

(Para: 22 )

Costa Rica Arbitration Centre of the Costa Rican Chamber

of Commerce

Country: Arbitral Award

Date: 29.07.2002

(Cited as: CRCCAC 2002)

(Para: 22 )

ICC Arbitral Award 1997

ICC case no.8817

Date: 01.12.1997

(Cited as: ICC 8817)

(Para: 22 )

México court Centro de Arbitraje de México

Country: Arbitral Award

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) vi

 Date: 30.11.2006

(Cited as: CAM2006)

(Para: 15 )

the United States Delchi Carrier v. Rotorex

Federal District Court (Northern Dist. New

York)

Date: 9 September 1994

(Cited as: Delchi)

(Para: 22 )

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) vii

 STATEMENT OF FACTS

Claimant Peng Importing Corporation is a flour mill incorporated and located in the

Republic of Id, which purchases wheat from suppliers. Respondent Freud Exporting is

a company located in the Federal Republic of Ego, which exports wheat grown

exclusively in Ego.

Since 10 January 2009, Claimant began to connect with Respondent by letter and fax.

They reached an agreement to cooperate for at least one year for wheat purchase. On

the island of Sun, both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

On 22 February 2009, Claimant received the first shipment, of which containers

were marked in Ego language, inconsistent with requirement of the MOU. Claimant

paid $5000 for translation, and informed Respondent of this wrong labeling.

Respondent stated it would endeavor to put English labels. In March 2009, Claimant

paid another $5000 for translation and a penalty of $10,000, as the second

consignment was still labeled in Ego language.

On 28 March 2009, Respondent notified Claimant of cancelling the contract, as a

result of losing the right to use the main port in Ego. Claimant expected Respondent

to take other measures to maintain their contractual relationship, but Respondent did

not provide any proper solutions.

The shipment in April 2009 contained wheat with 11% protein, which was under

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO. 177) 1

fixed level.

The CEOs of both parties renegotiated at an airport in May 2009, but failed to reach

an agreement. On 20 May 2009, Claimant filed a notice of the dispute with CIETAC.

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 2

 ARGUMENTS

I.CIETAC HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE DISPUTE

1. CIETAC has jurisdiction over the dispute: (A) The jurisdiction of CIETAC is in

accordance with the arbitration agreement in MOU; (B) The seat of arbitration would

not be Ego.

A ． The Jurisdiction of CIETAC Is in Accordance with the Arbitration

Agreement in MOU

(i) The ADR clause in MOU is the applicable arbitration agreement

(a) Two arbitration clauses exist and both satisfy the form of writing

2. On the internet, there is Respondent’s arbitration clause and Claimant agreed to that

[Ex.1&2]. However, in MOU, there is another ADR clause [Ex.5].

3. Id and Ego have adopted Model Law and NY Convention [Background information],

which require the arbitral agreement be in writing [Art. 7(2) Model Law, Art.2 NY

Convention]. Model Law interprets “writing” as including, “electronic

communication”, which applies to the arbitration clause on Respondent’s website

[Ex.2] and Claimant’s e-mail message [Ex.1]. The ADR clause in the MOU is in

accordance with the form of writing.

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 3

 (b)The arbitration agreement shall be the ADR clause

4. Although Claimant once agreed to the arbitration clause on the internet [Ex.1&2],

both parties renegotiated an arbitration clause, the ADR clause, in the MOU [Ex.3&5].

The previous arbitration clause was hence replaced by the new ADR clause, which

shall be regarded as the applicable arbitration agreement in this case.

(ii)The jurisdiction of CIETAC is in accordance with the agreement of

arbitration

5. The parties agreed to refer their disputes to arbitration under CIETAC Rules, but did

not specify any arbitration institution. This shall be construed as an agreement to

arbitration by CIETAC [Art. 4(3) CIETAC Rules]. The jurisdiction of CIETAC is

therefore in accordance with the agreement of arbitration.

B. The Seat of Arbitration Would Not Be Ego

(i) No seat of arbitration is agreed in the agreement

6. The MOU ADR clause did not provide the seat of arbitration. As a result, the place of

arbitration shall be the domicile of CIETAC or its Sub-Commission [Art.31(2)

CIETAC Rules ].

(ii)The seat of arbitration would not be Ego considering the neutrality of

arbitration

7. Ego is the country where Respondent is located [Background information]. If the seat

of arbitration would be Ego, it might not be able to produce fair outcomes due to the
MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 4
 potential prejudice and discrimination against the other party. If there is a material

difference between an international arbitral tribunal sitting in a particular state and a

local court (or jury), the reluctance of arbitration in counter-party’s domicile will be

exaggerated [Gary B.Born]. It is widely recognized that both parties should choose a

third country, which has little connection with the dispute, as the seat of arbitration.

CONCLUSION ON JURISDICTION

8. CIETAC has jurisdiction over the dispute: (A) The jurisdiction of CIETAC is in

accordance with the arbitration agreement in MOU; (B) The seat of arbitration would

not be Ego.

II. RESPONDENT BREACHED THE CONTRACT AND IS LIABLE TO

CLAIMANT

9. From February 2009, Respondent began to export grain to Claimant as a wheat

supplier. However, Respondent did not fulfill its obligations stipulated in the contract,

which resulted in great financial losses for Claimant. Respondent breached the

contract as followings: (A) Respondent cannot continue to supply grain after April

2009; (B) Respondent delivered grain inconsistent with quality requirements; and (C)

Respondent failed to label the containers as required. Respondent is liable to Claimant

also because (D) Claimant did not breach contract by finding another supplier.

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 5

 A. Respondent Cannot Continue to Supply Grain after April 2009

(i) Respondent failed to export gain out of the second port in Ego

10. The parties agreed that either port in Ego could be used as export port [Ex.1].

Claimant only cared about getting qualified grain timely, while Respondent was

responsible for securing a reliable port.

11. Conditions in the second port were in fact suitable for exporting. Once the major

export port of Ego, it also has functioning grain loading facilities [background

information]. Distance from the east coast to the west coast, as well as possible flood

tides and pirates, should not be regarded as significant obstacles. The navy of Ego

patrols the area regularly and keeps the problems of pirates to a minimum. In fact,

some other exporters were using it, despite the fact that the wharf facilities there are

not as good as those of the major port. Nevertheless, Respondent never tried this port,

which manifestos its failure in performing contractual obligation.

(ii)Even if Respondent’s failure to use the smaller port was reasonable, it did

not act in good faith to overcome consequences of the privatization of the

main port

(a) Respondent did not try its best in the tender for the main port

12. If Respondent offered a higher price which could also guarantee a profit, or sought

assistance from Claimant, it might have succeeded in the auction [Ex.10].

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 6

 (b) Respondent did not find new exporters positively

13. After losing the bid, Respondent asked the grain handling authority to take over the

contract but failed. Respondent could also find other exporters to continue this dealing

but it did not try. The second port in Ego was still functioning [Ex.12], but

Respondent did not try, either.

(iii) Hardship or force majeure does not excuse respondent’s

non-performance

(a) The four-prone requirements formulated in hardship had not been

fulfilled

14. The right to transport grain out of Ego’s main port was put to tender in late 2008

[Ex.9]. Respondent should have reasonably known the possibility of losing the license

of exporting through the main port when it contracted Claimant [Art.6.2.2(b) PICC].

Governmental act was beyond Respondent’s control, but its consequences could have

been avoided by, for instance, shifting to the smaller port. In this regard, Respondent

did not experience hardship.

15. Furthermore, the request for renegotiation does not in itself entitle Respondent to

withhold performance [Art.6.2.3(1) &(2)PICC,CAM2006]. Respondent requested to

cancel the contract after it lost the bid [Ex.9], but this action could not be justified

unless the alteration of the equilibrium of the contract was fundamental in two ways:

first, increasing in cost of performance, and second, decreasing in value of the

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 7

 performance received by Claimant [UNIDROIT 2004 Rome p184-190]. Respondent

failed to prove such extreme conditions.

(b) Force majeure does not give a ground for not assuming liability

16. Art 7.1.7 of PICC prescribes that non-performance by a party is excused if that party

proves that that nonperformance was due to Force majeure. No force majeure could

be established in this case as Respondent’s failure to take into consideration of the

possible loss in the bid and its consequences was unreasonable from an average

business perspective.

B. The Grain Which Respondent Delivered Did Not Match the Quality

Requirements

17. It is a fundamental principle in commercial dealings that the seller must deliver goods

which are of description required by the contract and are contained or packaged in the

manner required by the contract [Richard p140]. The agreement between the parties is

the primary source for assessing conformity [John Felemegas p168]. Additionally,

contracts are not bound in certain formal forms and are often mixed with

conversations, telefaxes, paper contracts, e-mail and web communication

[UNIDROIT 2004 Rome p9]. Although no specific quality standard was set up in the

MOU [Ex.5], Claimant’s first letter to Respondent [Ex.1], which shall be regarded as

a part of the contract, did clearly put it forward. As Respondent did not object this

criterion, it must deliver grain containing protein in the range of 13% to 10.5% and at

an average of 11.5% or above.

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 8
18. In the shipment on April 2009, Respondent delivered wheat with a protein level under

11.5% [Ex.12], which did not conform to the quality required. Although it is

acceptable on stock in Ego, it could not overcome the standards agreed by the parties.

This requirement is expressed in the contract and Claimant will be influenced by

wrong protein level in the fierce competition. When the quality of performance is

neither fixed by, nor determinable from, the contract a party is bound to render a

performance of a quality that is reasonable and not less than average in the

circumstance [Art.5.1.6 PICC]. Although the parties reached an accord on period of

performance in April 2009, they only made modification on this clause. Other

description and requirements in the contract are as same as the former one. So an

earlier performance does not affect other terms. The seller must respect the

particularities of each sale and do all that is necessary to make the goods usable and

conform to the agreement.

C. Claimant Is Entitled to Damages due to Wrong Labeling Made by

Respondent

19. Under MOU all containers should be marked in English only, but all three

consignments from Respondent were labeled in Ego language. Claimant informed

Respondent of the wrong markings [Ex.6 & 8] and paid translation costs plus penalty.

Respondent is liable to all these losses.

20. Even if signage in Ego could only be in Ego language and it required the importers to

change the signs in the bonded warehouse, Respondent is still liable as it failed to

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 9

 indicate this clearly in the contract, or, when the shipments arrived at port Lobe City,

Id, particularly after noticed by Claimant of the translation fee. This instruction should

be explicit and reasonable. Under this circumstance, commercial practice cannot

become a judgment to change this. Claimant’s experiences of importing grain from

the Island of Oz did not involve such complexity; otherwise it would have prepared

bonded warehouse in advance. If this situation only exists in Ego, Respondent was on

a better position to know it, particularly as a regular exporter in Ego, and should have

taken necessary precautions. As Respondent failed to notify Claimant of this

regulation in the course of negotiation the contract, as well as during the performance

of its obligation, even after being reminded by Claimant, it shall be liable to

Claimant’s losses resulting from such wrong labeling.

21. In the letter of 6 March 2009, Respondent promised that it would let Claimant know

whether Customs in Ego allowed English labels onto the containers [Ex.7]. It is more

convenient for Respondent to search its domestic law, but Claimant’s waiting did not

meet any further information from Respondent.

D. To Find Another Supplier Did Not Imply Claimant Breaching The Contract

22. Claimant was obliged to find alternative supplier once Respondent informed it of

possible cancelation of the contract. A party suffering harm must take steps to

mitigate the harm [ICC 8817, CRCCAC 2002]. Respondent is not liable for harm

suffered by Claimant to the extent that the harm could have been reduced by

Claimant’s taking reasonable steps [Art.7.4.8(1) PICC]. It is to avoid the aggrieved

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 10

 party passively sitting back and waiting to be compensated for harm which it could

have avoided or reduced [UNIDROIT 2004 Rome p244]. Claimant’s move to secure a

new supplier was to reduce harm and mitigate Respondent’s liability, and should not

be construed as breach of contract. The obligation imposed on the aggrieved party is

to be interpreted in light of reasonable in the circumstances. The assessment of

reasonableness is a question of fact and will take into account circumstances such as

the time within which action was undertaken to diminish an avoidable loss and

whether a substitute transaction was conducted on an arm’s length basis [Elisabeth].

Specifically, decisions have found the following measures by aggrieved buyers to be

reasonable based on other similar cases: paying another supplier to expedite delivery

of already-ordered compressor that could be substituted for defective compressors

[Delchi]; contracting with a third-party supplier because of inability of breaching

party to deliver molds in time [Nova] [UNCITRAL Digest]. Under this circumstance,

Claimant had contract with the third party reasonably. It found another supplier after

Respondent notified it of cancelling the contract. If Claimant could not get grain on

time, it will induce losses on Claimant and the third party. Consequently, this

replacement transaction aims to eliminate the loss caused by Respondent.

CONCLUSION ON SUBSTANSIVE ISSUES

23. The Tribunal should find that (II) Respondent breached the contract and is liable to

Claimant: (A) for Respondent could not continue to supply grain after April 2009; (B)

for the grain Respondent delivered did not match the quality requirements; (C) for

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 11

Claimant is entitled to damages due to wrong labeling made by Respondent; and (D)

for finding another supplier did not imply Claimant breaching the contract.

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 12

 RELIEF REQUESTED

Claimant respectfully requests that the Arbitral Tribunal find that:

z CIETAC has jurisdiction over the dispute:

(a) The jurisdiction of CIETAC is in accordance with the arbitration agreement in

MOU; and

(b) The seat of arbitration would not be Ego;

z Respondent breached the contract and is liable to Claimant due to:

(a) Respondent could not continue to supply grain after April 2009;

(b)The grain which Respondent delivered did not match the quality requirements;

(c) Claimant is entitled to damages due to wrong labeling made by Respondent; and

(d) To find another supplier did not imply Claimant’s breach of contract.

Consequently, Claimant respectfully requests the Arbitral Tribunal to order

Respondent:

z to pay translation costs of $10,000 plus a penalty of $10,000;

z to pay damages

z to pay interest on the said sums; and

z to pay the costs of arbitration

For Peng Importing Corporation

(signed) , 1 July 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR CLAIMANT (TEAM NO.177) 13