International commercial contracts

Next steps

Which elements belong together before the next step?

Commercial arbitration: agreement and procedure file
France and Switzerland distinguish domestic and international arbitration under their own frameworks.
International contract: court and governing law
France and Switzerland distinguish jurisdiction from the law governing a contract.
International delivery: read the agreed trade terms
France and Switzerland require the actual delivery agreement to be read in context.
International sale: offers, orders and standard terms
France and Switzerland may require international-sale formation rules to be examined alongside the actual exchange.
Sales commission agent: goods and accounts
France and Switzerland distinguish selling in one’s own name for another’s account from ordinary agency in the principal’s name.
Fiduciary transfer: assets, purpose and obligations
France and Switzerland require fiduciary arrangements to be examined under different legal structures.
Contractual escrow: prepare release conditions
France and Switzerland require an agreed holding arrangement to be examined through its actual contract and legal framework.
Broken negotiations: preserve versions and costs
France and Switzerland examine precontractual conduct through their own frameworks.
Three-party payment: delegation and accepted obligations
France and Switzerland use different legal structures for three-party payment.
Force majeure or hardship: prepare the response
France and Switzerland distinguish contractual impediment, changed circumstances and their possible consequences.

Frequent questions

What other questions arise in this file?

Switzerland: which procedural records should be retained ?

Keep claims, responses, evidence and decisions in chronological order.

Légifrance — CPC 1442 Légifrance — CPC 1443 Légifrance — CPC 1447 Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/fr Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/fr Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/fr

Switzerland: do delivery terms automatically settle ownership ?

Keep title and risk as separate questions and examine relevant clauses.

Code civil : article 1191 civil : art. 1192 CO : Art. 18 CO : Art. 74

Switzerland: what powers should the dossier retain ?

Connect authorised acts, limits and accounting duties to the agreement.

Légifrance — CIV 2011 Légifrance — CIV 2013 Légifrance — CIV 2015 Fedlex 24/233_245_233/fr Fedlex 24/233_245_233/fr index.php

Switzerland: why distinguish instruction and acceptance ?

They do not describe the same act or necessarily establish identical obligations.

Légifrance — CIV 1336 Légifrance — CIV 1337 Légifrance — CIV 1338 Fedlex 27/317_321_377/fr Fedlex 27/317_321_377/fr Fedlex 27/317_321_377/fr

Sources

Which official references should you consult?

Légifrance — CPC 1442legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CPC 1443legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CPC 1447legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 1988/1776_1776_1776/frfedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — CPC 48legifrance.gouv.fr
Bruxelles I bis : conventions de juridictionpublications.europa.eu
Rome I : choix de la loi applicablepublications.europa.eu
Fedlex 2010/801/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 2010/801/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 2010/801/frfedlex.admin.ch
Code civil : article 1191legifrance.gouv.fr
civil : art. 1192legifrance.gouv.fr
CO : Art. 18fedlex.admin.ch
CO : Art. 74fedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — CIV 1119legifrance.gouv.fr
civil : art. 1113legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 1991/307_307_307/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — COM L132-1legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — COM L132-2legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — COM L132-3legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — CIV 2011legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 2013legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 2015legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 24/233_245_233/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 24/233_245_233/frfedlex.admin.ch
index.phpsearch.bger.ch
Légifrance — CIV 1956legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1957legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1958legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — CIV 1112legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1112-1legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1112-2legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 24/233_245_233/frfedlex.admin.ch
index.phpsearch.bger.ch
Légifrance — CIV 1336legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1337legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1338legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Légifrance — CIV 1218legifrance.gouv.fr
Légifrance — CIV 1195legifrance.gouv.fr
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch
Fedlex 27/317_321_377/frfedlex.admin.ch

Texts cited last checked: 2 November 2026