GAFTA STANDARD CONTRACTS VCMX EXCHANGE INC.

VCMx Exchange Inc

32 Federal Drive
White City SK S4L 5B1


Visit our Website

Duration:

Less than one week

2 days onsight training by General Manager of training and education Gafta (London England) to be reserved in advance

 

Site location to be approved in advance, Canada

 

Course costs TBA with course site location/oordinator pre-registrations

 

Registrations minimum 20, maximum 40 in advance with VCMx Exchange Education Department

 

[email protected]

http://www.vcmx.ca

 

 

Agenda:

MODULES
1. Introduction to contracts
2. Fulfilling contractual obligations
3. Payment and risk
4. Charterparties and international carriage regimes
5. What to do in exceptional circumstances
6. Problems and how to resolve them

 

FORMATION OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

 

Day 1

 

09.00 Introduction to GAFTA Standard forms of International Contract, Negotiation and Contract Confirmation

 

10.00 Responsibility of Parties under standard forms of contracts and passing of risks  CIF /FOB / Containers / Ex Store, DDU, etc

 

11.00 Break  

 

THE GOODS

 

11.30 Quality and Condition, Warranties and Guarantees .

Instruction for Supervision  Sampling Rules 124  Weighing Rules 123  Quality Assurance, GTAS

 

13.00 Lunch

 

14.00 Practical Exercise, Case Study – Terms of a Contract.

 

  • 15.00 Shipping Documents
  •  Bills of Lading   Mates Receipts  Invoices

 

16.00 Break

 

  • 16.30 Ascertaining the Goods/Vessel
  •  Nomination of Vessel  Appropriation of Goods

 

17.30 End

 
Day 2

 
08.30 Insuring the Goods

 Principle of Insurance  Gafta Insurance Rules no. 72

 

09.15 Payment Terms 

 Prepayment  Open Account   Cash Against Documents   Letters of Credit

 

10.00 Case Study – Payment Terms and Insurance – Preparation  Coffee

 

10.45 Discussion – Payment Terms and Insurance  


FREIGHT, LOADING AND DISCHARGE RISKS

 

11.15 Introduction to Charterparties, Laytime, Despatch and Demurrage 

 

12.15 Exercise –Laytime Calculation 

 

12.45 Exercise – Review of Laytime Calculation

 

13.00 Lunch  


PROBLEMS AND EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

 

14.00 Prevention of Shipment clauses and Frustration

 

14.45 Breaches, Default and Damages, Claiming Default and the Duty to Mitigate 

 

15.45 Case Study – Default and Damages , Coffee

 

16.45 Arbitration and Mediation

 

17.30 End  

 

Cost:

1200 British pounds

Target Audience:

Gafta is an international Trade Association with over 1400 Members in 86 countries. Gafta promotes international trade in agricultural commodities - and to protect the interests of members worldwide, providing the support and international contacts they require.

 

http://www.gafta.com

 

VCMx Exchange Inc is an international cash physical products and services exchange with associated governance council coordinating and faciltating trade in exchange verified products, logistics and related professional trade services for its members

 

http://www.vcmx.ca

 

Membership categories reflect the different aspects of the international and domestic grain trade trade and include :

 

Principle Traders (Buyers and Sellers ), Logistics Asset Owners, Grain Brokers, Logistics Brokers, and Professional Service Providers (graders, laboratories, crop agronomists, foreign exchange services, banking,legal, insurance, accounting)

Recognition Provided:

Certificate
Other

Certificate of completion Gafta (Grain and Feed Trade Association)

 

Membership credits VCMx Exchange Inc

Method of Instruction:

Classroom
On-site/On-farm
Workshops

On site classroom training Canadian course locations delivered by Head of Training and Education Gafta, London England

 

Case study participant exercises

 

Interactive on site training materials

 

Q&A with course instructor Gafta

Availability of Program:

Seasonal

Minimum 20 registrants per seasonal booking in advance VCMx Exchange

 

Contact:

 

Gerry Horne

Vice President

Educational Services

 

[email protected]

[email protected]

Agriculture Business:

Crops

Subject of Training:

Marketing (includes value added)

Learning Outcomes

 

http://www.vcmx.ca

http://www.gafta.com

 

Introduction to Gafta standard forms of contracts,negotiation of trades and contract information

 

At the end of the on sight training session, participants should understand the elements necessary for the formation of a contract, and best practice when communicating terms with a counterparty, to understanding the many different types of standard terms and the importance of reading all contracts before agreeing to a contract.  


Responsibility of parties under standard forms of contracts and the passing of risks 

 

At the end of the on sight training session, participants should understand what and when parties are obliged to do under standard terms, such as cost insurance freight and free on board, container terms, FAS, Ex Store, Delivered, DDU etc.. Participants should gain knowledge of the difference between risk and property in the goods. 

 
Quality, conditions, warranties and guarantees

 

The differences between the quality and the condition of the goods should be explained to on sight training participants and the potential different impact on various contractual obligations. Time should be spent on understanding the different types of contract terms, guarantees (or conditions) as opposed to warranties of the contract.

 
Quality assurance schemes 

 

Food and feed safety is an issue of constant importance to the trade, understanding the need to use hazard and critical control point (HACCP) systems to encourage the safe production, transportation processing and final consumption of the goods will be explained as well as the benefits of the GTAS (Gafta Trade Assurance Scheme).  


Instructing superintendents, understanding the sampling and weighing rules 

 

Superintendents represent the contracting parties during loading and discharging operations. Participants at the end of the session should understand the importance of providing clear instructions and identifying key contract terms when instructing superintendents, as well as understanding their duties and identifying which rules should be followed.  


Ascertainment of the goods and or the vessel

 

In bulk trading the ascertainment (or appropriation) of the goods is a vital step in the contractual process – risk may pass between the parties at this stage - so the requirements of appropriation are identified and simple issues raised. When trading under certain terms, sellers cannot load the goods until buyers have identified the vessel (and placed it in port /berth) so the requirements of a good nomination of vessel should also be explained with some simple steps to avoiding common issues.

 
Identifying and understanding the uses of various shipping documents including bills of lading, mates receipts, invoices and certificates

 

Under international shipment contracts, goods are often bought or sold without the parties ever seeing them, with parties making payment, taking on the responsibilities of title, and the risk of shipment against the provision of appropriate documents. Key documents are explained here – their importance, best practice when handling them and discussions as to which documents should be included in contractual terms.

 
Insurance

 

Transporting goods over large distances presents a risk of loss either by damage during transportation, loss of transportation and contents. The principles of insurance are introduced along with a greater examination of the Gafta Insurance Rules No. 72.

 
Payment terms 

 

Paying for goods is a critical contractual term. Sellers wish to be paid for the goods before losing control of the property, and buyers wish to gain control of the goods before making payment. Various options exist and participants will have the principles of cash against documents, open account and letter of credit terms discussed.  


Introduction to charterparties

 

Depending on the contract terms, one party is always responsible for arranging shipment. In bulk goods this often involves chartering (hiring) a vessel either for the duration of a voyage or for a specific time. The principles behind both time and voyage charters should be explained.  


Simple introduction to laytime, despatch and demurrage including how to calculate

 

Laytime is the time allowed for goods to be loaded/unloaded without a party paying damages (demurrage) to the shipowner, calculations of “time allowed” is a vital aspect and this session should identify best ways to do this and explain common terms.  


Prevention of shipment and frustration

 

Occasionally there may be unusual events which prevent the contract from being fulfilled. Participants should understand the very limited circumstances when a party may terminate the contract due to exceptional circumstances and what steps that should be taken with regards to notices etc.

 
Breaches of contract, default and damages

 

Participants should learn what to do in the event that another party fails to fulfil their contractual obligations. A thorough examination of the Gafta Default Clause will be undertaken, as well as identifying the duty of each party should such a circumstance arise.  


Arbitration and Mediation

 

Participants should understand the principles behind arbitration, in addition to the key duties of a party under the Gafta Arbitration Rules nos. 125 and 126.  Participants should understand the principles behind mediation, in addition to the key duties of a party under the Gafta Mediation Rules no. 128.

 

 

Language of Instruction:

English

For program information contact:

306-789-4164
306-539-3559
Visit the program Web site
Darhl Vercaigne, President


Last Updated: 2014-11-10

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