• Journal of Arbitration Studies
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.175-205
• /
• 2005

One of the important issues facing current letter of credit practice is the effect of nondocumetary conditions. A nondocumentary condition is a condition contained in the credit without stating the document to be presented in compliance therewith, so nondocumentary condition must be ascertained by reference to factual matters rather than by review of a tendered document. This study attempts to examine the regulations in UCP, ISP98 and UCC on the nondocumetary conditions and the opinions on the effect of nondocumetary conditions and to analyze various cases on the effect of nondocumetary conditions. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. Firstly, UCP, ISP98 and UCC stipulate that banks will deem nondocumetary conditions as not stated and will disregard then So the legal standards for nondocumetary conditions have established. Secondly, courts used to permit the effect of nondocumetary conditions on the basis of the Wichita rule, party autonomy. Thirdly, issuing banks and applicants should not attempt to put in any nondocumetary conditions in order to prevent disputes on the effect of nondocumetary conditions.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.89-109
• /
• 2014

The purpose of price escalation clauses has the effect of increasing the L/C value subject to external pricing mechanisms. This will be found inter alia in metals and oil products transactions. Such a clause gives rise to a question. That is, whether it is enforceable or whether it constitutes a letter of credit. The problem is what to reference to a source outside the context of a letter of credit constitutes a non-documentary condition rendering the undertaking something other than a letter of credit. Reference to an objective and readily available index is not something that renders the undertaking obscure and is not "non-documentary in the sense that it is possible to make an objective verification of the data. The possible solution is that not every non-documentary condition will be disregarded. For example, an index specified in the credit will not be disregarded as stipulated in ISP98 and URDG758. If a non-documentary is "central and fundamental", it seems that the parties intended a dependent payment obligations. The most common means of overcoming this conflicts of interests is to issue an instrument incorporatingan escalation clause, but capping the bank's maximum payment obligation.