Gafta 64

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Effective 1st January 2006

Gafta No.64
Copyright
THE GRAIN AND FEED TRADE ASSOCIATION

GENERAL CONTRACT FOR GRAIN


IN BULK
FOB TERMS
* delete/specify as applicable
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Date...................................................................

SELLERS .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................
INTERVENING AS BROKERS................................................................................................................................................................................
BUYERS........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
have this day entered into a contract on the following terms and conditions.
1.

GOODS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Buyers have the option of calling for up to 10% in bags for safe stowage such bags to be taken and paid for as grain.

2.

QUANTITY- ......................................................................................................................................................................................................
5 % more or less at Buyers' option. In the event of the quantity contracted for being a full and complete cargo and/or cargoes the margin
of contract quantity shall be 10% more or less, excess or deficiency over 5% shall be settled at the FOB price on date of last bill of
lading; value shall be fixed by arbitration unless mutually agreed. In the event of more than one delivery being made each delivery shall
be considered a separate contract, but the margin on the mean quantity sold shall not be affected thereby.

3.

PRICE- ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................
* per tonne of 1000 kilograms
}
} gross weight, delivered Free on Board Buyers' Vessel at ......................................................
* per ton of 1016 kilograms or 2240 lbs.
}

4.

BROKERAGE ............................per tonne, to be paid by Sellers on the mean contract quantity, goods lost or not lost, contract
fulfilled or not fulfilled unless such non-fulfilment is due to the cancellation of the contract under the terms of the Prohibition
Clause. Brokerage shall be due on the day shipping documents are exchanged, or if the goods are not delivered then the brokerage
shall be due on the 30th consecutive day after the last day for delivery.

5.

QUALITY* Warranted to contain ..................................................................................................................................................................................


* Government, Official or Customary Inspector's Certificates issued at time and place of delivery shall be final as to quality.
Buyers shall not be entitled to reject the delivery of a higher grade of grain of the same colour and description.
* FAQ (fair average quality) of the season's shipments at time and place of shipment, to be assessed upon the basis of, and by
comparison with the GAFTA F.A.Q. Standard of the month during which the bill of lading is dated. In the event of no F.A.Q. Standard
being established by the Association, the arbitrator(s) shall in his/their discretion decide what is the fair average quality. An average
sample of the delivery shall be taken and sealed jointly at port of loading by the representatives of the Sellers and the Representatives of
the Buyers and shall be forwarded immediately to the Association for the purpose of establishing the F.A.Q. Standard. The expenses of
such sampling and forwarding shall be paid half by the Sellers and half by the Buyers. Place of loading under this contract shall be
understood as the port or group of ports adopted by the appointed Standards Committee in making the Standard. If the difference
between the delivery and the F.A.Q. Standard shall not amount to 0.50% of contract price, no allowance for quality shall be due;
otherwise Buyers shall be entitled to the full difference in value.
* Sample - at time and place of shipment about as per sealed sample marked in the......................................................................................
possession of ........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Condition-Delivery shall be made in good condition.

6.

PERIOD OF DELIVERY
Delivery during ................................................................................................................................................................at Buyers' call.
Nomination of Vessel- Buyers shall serve not less than ...................................................consecutive days notice of the name and

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probable readiness date of the vessel and the estimated tonnage required.
Buyers have the right to substitute the nominated vessel, but in any event the original delivery period and any extension shall not be
affected thereby. Provided the vessel is presented at the loading port in readiness to load within the delivery period, Sellers shall if
necessary complete loading after the delivery period and carrying charges shall not apply. In case of re-sales all notices shall be
passed on without delay, where possible, by telephone and confirmed on the same day in accordance with the Notices Clause.
7.

LOADING - Vessel(s) to load in accordance with the custom of the port of loading unless otherwise stipulated. Bill of lading shall
be considered proof of delivery in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

8.

EXTENSION OF DELIVERY- The contract period of delivery shall be extended by an additional period of not more than 21
consecutive days, provided that Buyers serve notice claiming extension not later than the next business day following the last day of the
delivery period. In this event Sellers shall carry the goods for Buyers' account and all charges for storage, interest, insurance and other
such normal carrying expenses shall be for Buyers' account, unless the vessel presents in readiness to load within the contractual delivery
period.
Any differences in export duties, taxes, levies etc, between those applying during the original delivery period and those applying during
the period of extension, shall be for the account of Buyers. If required by Buyers, Sellers shall produce evidence of the amounts paid. In
such cases the Duties, Taxes, Levies Clause shall not apply.
Should Buyers fail to present a vessel in readiness to load under the extension period, Sellers shall have the option of declaring Buyers to
be in default, or shall be entitled to demand payment at the contract price plus such charges as stated above, less current FOB charges,
against warehouse warrants and the tender of such warehouse warrants shall be considered complete delivery of the contract on the part
of Sellers.

9.

ICE ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10. SHIP'S CLASSIFICATION. Shipment by first class mechanically self-propelled vessel(s) suitable for the carriage of the contract
goods, classed in accordance with the Institute Classification Clause of the International Underwriting Association in force at the time of
shipment, excluding tankers and vessels which are either classified in Lloyds Register or described in Lloyds Shipping Index as
Ore/Oil vessels.
11. PAYMENT(a) By cash in .......................................................................................................................................................................................................
against the following documents .........................................................................................................................................................................
(b) No obvious clerical error in the documents shall entitle Buyers to reject them or delay payment, but Sellers shall be responsible for all
loss or expense caused to Buyers by reason of such error and Sellers shall on request of Buyers furnish an approved guarantee in respect
thereto.
(c) Amounts payable under this contract shall be settled without delay. If not so settled, either party may notify the other that a
dispute has arisen and serve a notice stating his intention to refer the dispute to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules.
(d) Interest If there has been unreasonable delay in any payment, interest appropriate to the currency involved shall be charged. If
such charge is not mutually agreed, a dispute shall be deemed to exist which shall be settled by arbitration. Otherwise interest shall
be payable only where specifically provided in the terms of the contract or by an award of arbitration. The terms of this clause do
not override the parties contractual obligation under sub-clause (a).
12.

DUTIES, TAXES, LEVIES, ETC.- All export duties, taxes, levies, etc., present or future, in country of origin or of the territory where
the port or ports of shipment named herein is/are situate, shall be for Sellers' account.

13.

EXPORT LICENCE if required, to be obtained by Sellers.

14.

WEIGHING- the terms and conditions of GAFTA Weighing Rules No. 123 are deemed to be incorporated into this contract. Final
at time and place of loading, as per GAFTA registered superintendent certificate at Sellers choice and expense. Buyers have the
right to attend at loading.

15.

SAMPLING, ANALYSIS AND CERTIFICATES OF ANALYSIS- the terms and conditions of GAFTA Sampling Rules No.124,
are deemed to be incorporated into this contract. Samples shall be taken at time and place of loading. The parties shall appoint
superintendents, for the purposes of supervision and sampling of the goods, from the GAFTA Register of Superintendents. Unless
otherwise agreed, analysts shall be appointed from the GAFTA Register of Analysts.

16.

INSURANCE- Marine and War Risk insurance including strikes, riots, civil commotions and mine risks to be effected by the Buyers
with first class underwriters and/or approved companies. Buyers shall supply Sellers with confirmation thereof at least 5 consecutive
days prior to expected readiness of vessel(s). If Buyers fail to provide such confirmation Sellers shall have the right to place such
insurance at Buyers' risk and expense.

17.

PROHIBITION- In case of prohibition of export, blockade or hostilities or in case of any executive or legislative act done by or on
behalf of the government of the country of origin or of the territory where the port or ports of shipment named herein is/are situate,
restricting export, whether partially or otherwise, any such restriction shall be deemed by both parties to apply to this contract and to the

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extent of such total or partial restriction to prevent fulfilment whether by shipment or by any other means whatsoever and to that extent
this contract or any unfulfilled portion thereof shall be cancelled. Sellers shall advise Buyers without delay with the reasons therefor and,
if required, Sellers must produce proof to justify the cancellation.
18.

LOADING STRIKES(a) Should delivery of the goods or any part thereof be prevented at any time during the last 28 days of guaranteed time of delivery, or at
any time during guaranteed delivery period if such be less than 28 days, by reason of riots, strikes or lock-outs at port(s) of loading or
elsewhere preventing the forwarding of the goods to such port(s), then Sellers shall be entitled at the termination of such riots, strikes or
lock-outs to as much time for delivery at such port(s) as was left for delivery under the contract prior to the outbreak of the riots, strikes
or lock-outs, and in the event of the time left for delivery under the contract being 14 days or less, a minimum extension of 14 days shall
be allowed.
(b) In the event of further riots, strikes or lock-outs occurring during the time by which the guaranteed period of delivery has been
extended by reasons of the operation of the provisions in paragraph (a), the additional extension allowed shall be limited to the actual
duration of such further riots, strikes or lock-outs. In case of non-delivery under the above circumstances and if Sellers have claimed
extension under paragraph (c), the date of default shall be similarly deferred.
(c) Sellers shall serve a notice naming the port(s) not later than 5 business days after the commencement of the riots, strikes or lock-outs
or 5 business days after the commencement of the delivery period, whichever is later, if they intend to claim an extension of time for
delivery, such notice shall limit the port(s) for delivery after expiry of contract period to those for which an extension is claimed.
(d) If required by Buyers, Sellers must provide documentary evidence to establish any claim for extension under this clause.

19.

NOTICES- All notices required to be served on the parties pursuant to this contract shall be communicated rapidly in legible form.
Methods of rapid communication for the purposes of this clause are defined and mutually recognised as: - either telex, or letter if
delivered by hand on the date of writing, or telefax, or E-mail, or other electronic means, always subject to the proviso that if receipt of
any notice is contested, the burden of proof of transmission shall be on the sender who shall, in the case of a dispute, establish, to the
satisfaction of the arbitrator(s) or board of appeal appointed pursuant to the Arbitration Clause, that the notice was actually transmitted to
the addressee. In case of resales/repurchases all notices shall be served without delay by sellers on their respective buyers or vice versa,
and any notice received after 1600 hours on a business day shall be deemed to have been received on the business day following. A
notice to the Brokers or Agent shall be deemed a notice under this contract.

20.

NON-BUSINESS DAYS- Saturdays, Sundays and the officially recognised and/or legal holidays of the respective countries and any
days, which GAFTA may declare as non-business days for specific purposes, shall be non-business days. Should the time limit for doing
any act or serving any notice expire on a non-business day, the time so limited shall be extended until the first business day thereafter.
The period of delivery shall not be affected by this clause.

21.

DEFAULT- In default of fulfilment of contract by either party, the following provisions shall apply: (a) The party other than the defaulter shall, at their discretion have the right, after serving a notice on the defaulter, to sell or purchase, as
the case may be, against the defaulter, and such sale or purchase shall establish the default price.
(b) If either party be dissatisfied with such default price or if the right at (a) above is not exercised and damages cannot be mutually
agreed, then the assessment of damages shall be settled by arbitration.
(c) The damages payable shall be based on, but not limited to, the difference between the contract price and either the default price
established under (a) above or upon the actual or estimated value of the goods, on the date of default, established under (b) above.
(d) In all cases the damages shall, in addition, include any proven additional expenses which would directly and naturally result in the
ordinary course of events from the defaulter's breach of contract, but in no case shall damages include loss of profit on any sub-contracts
made by the party defaulted against or others unless the arbitrator(s) or board of appeal, having regard to special circumstances, shall in
his/their sole and absolute discretion think fit.
(e) Damages, if any, shall be computed on the quantity called for, but if no such quantity has been declared then on the mean contract
quantity and any option available to either party shall be deemed to have been exercised accordingly in favour of the mean contract
quantity.

22. CIRCLE- Where Sellers re-purchase from their Buyers or from any subsequent Buyer the same goods or part thereof, a circle shall
be considered to exist as regards the particular goods so re-purchased, and the provisions of the Default Clause shall not apply. (For
the purpose of this clause the same goods shall mean goods of the same description, from the same country of origin, of the same
quality, and, where applicable, of the same analysis warranty, for delivery from the same port(s) of loading during the same period
of delivery). Different currencies shall not invalidate the circle.
Subject to the terms of the Prohibition Clause in the contract, if the circle is established before the goods are delivered, or if the
goods are not delivered, invoices based on the mean contract quantity, or if the goods have been delivered invoices based on the
delivered quantity, shall be settled by all Buyers and their Sellers in the circle by payment by all Buyers to their Sellers of the excess
of the Sellers' invoice amount over the lowest invoice amount in the circle. Payment shall be due not later than 15 consecutive days
after the last date for delivery, or, should the circle not be ascertained before the expiry of this time, then payment shall be due not
later than 15 consecutive days after the circle is ascertained.
Where the circle includes contracts expressed in different currencies the lowest invoice amount shall be replaced by the market price
on the first day for contractual delivery and invoices shall be settled between each Buyer and his Seller in the circle by payment of
the differences between the market price and the relative contract price in the currency of the contract.

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All Sellers and Buyers shall give every assistance to ascertain the circle and when a circle shall have been ascertained in accordance
with this clause same shall be binding on all parties to the circle. As between Buyers and Sellers in the circle, the non-presentation of
documents by Sellers to their Buyers shall not be considered a breach of contract.
Should any party in the circle prior to the due date of payment commit any act comprehended in the Insolvency Clause of this contract,
settlement by all parties in the circle shall be calculated at the closing out price as provided for in the Insolvency Clause, which shall be
taken as a basis for settlement, instead of the lowest invoice amount in the circle. In this event respective Buyers shall make payment to
their Sellers or respective Sellers shall make payment to their Buyers of the difference between the closing out price and the contract
price.
23.

INSOLVENCY- If before the fulfilment of this contract, either party shall suspend payments, notify any of the creditors that he is
unable to meet debts or that he has suspended or that he is about to suspend payments of his debts, convene, call or hold a meeting of
creditors, propose a voluntary arrangement, have an administration order made, have a winding up order made, have a receiver or
manager appointed, convene, call or hold a meeting to go into liquidation (other than for re-construction or amalgamation) become
subject to an Interim Order under Section 252 of the Insolvency Act 1986, or have a Bankruptcy Petition presented against him (any of
which acts being hereinafter called an "Act of Insolvency") then the party committing such Act of Insolvency shall forthwith serve a
notice of the occurrence of such Act of Insolvency on the other party to the contract and upon proof (by either the other party to the
contract or the Receiver, Administrator, Liquidator or other person representing the party committing the Act of Insolvency) that such
notice was served within 2 business days of the occurrence of the Act of Insolvency, the contract shall be closed out at the market price
ruling on the business day following the serving of the notice. If such notice has not been served, then the other party, on learning of the
occurrence of the Act of Insolvency, shall have the option of declaring the contract closed out at either the market price on the first
business day after the date when such party first learnt of the occurrence of the Act of Insolvency or at the market price ruling on the first
business day after the date when the Act of Insolvency occurred.
In all cases the other party to the contract shall have the option of ascertaining the settlement price on the closing out of the contract by
re-purchase or re-sale, and the difference between the contract price and the re-purchase or re-sale price shall be the amount payable or
receivable under this contract.

24.

DOMICILE-This contract shall be deemed to have been made in England and to be performed in England, notwithstanding any
contrary provision, and this contract shall be construed and take effect in accordance with the laws of England. Except for the
purpose of enforcing any award made in pursuance of the Arbitration Clause of this contract, the Courts of England shall have
exclusive jurisdiction to determine any application for ancillary relief, (save for obtaining security only for the claim or counterclaim),the exercise of the powers of the Court in relation to the arbitration proceedings and any dispute other than a dispute which
shall fall within the jurisdiction of arbitrators or board of appeal of the Association pursuant to the Arbitration Clause of this
contract. For the purpose of any legal proceedings each party shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident or carrying on business at the
offices of The Grain and Feed Trade Association, England, (GAFTA), and any party residing or carrying on business in Scotland
shall be held to have prorogated jurisdiction against himself to the English Courts or if in Northern Ireland to have submitted to the
jurisdiction and to be bound by the decision of the English Courts. The service of proceedings upon any such party by leaving the
same at the offices of The Grain and Feed Trade Association, together with the posting of a copy of such proceedings to his address
outside England, shall be deemed good service, any rule of law or equity to the contrary notwithstanding.

25.

ARBITRATION(a) Any and all disputes arising out of or under this contract or any claim regarding the interpretation or execution of this contract
shall be determined by arbitration in accordance with the GAFTA Arbitration Rules, No 125, in the edition current at the date of this
contract, such Rules are incorporated into and form part of this Contract and both parties hereto shall be deemed to be fully
cognisant of and to have expressly agreed to the application of such Rules.
(b) Neither party hereto, nor any persons claiming under either of them shall bring any action or other legal proceedings against the
other in respect of any such dispute, or claim until such dispute or claim shall first have been heard and determined by the
arbitrator(s) or a board of appeal, as the case may be, in accordance with the Arbitration Rules and it is expressly agreed and
declared that the obtaining of an award from the arbitrator(s) or board of appeal, as the case may be, shall be a condition precedent
to the right of either party hereto or of any persons claiming under either of them to bring any action or other legal proceedings
against the other of them in respect of any such dispute or claim.
(c) Nothing contained under this Arbitration Clause shall prevent the parties from seeking to obtain security in respect of their claim
or counterclaim via legal proceedings in any jurisdiction, provided such legal proceedings shall be limited to applying for and/or
obtaining security for a claim or counterclaim, it being understood and agreed that the substantive merits of any dispute or claim
shall be determined solely by arbitration in accordance with the GAFTA Arbitration Rules, No 125.

26.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONSThe following shall not apply to this contract: (a) The Uniform Law on Sales and the Uniform Law on Formation to which effect is given by the Uniform Laws on International Sales
Act 1967;
(b) The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 1980; and
(c) The United Nations Convention on Prescription (Limitation) in the International Sale of Goods of 1974 and the amending Protocol of
1980.
(d) Incoterms
(e) Unless the contract contains any statement expressly to the contrary, a person who is not a party to this contract has no

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right under the Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of it.

Sellers ..................................................................................................... Buyers ...........................................................................................................

Printed in England and issued by

GAFTA
(THE GRAIN AND FEED TRADE ASSOCIATION)
GAFTA HOUSE, 6 CHAPEL PLACE, RIVINGTON ST, LONDON EC2A 3SH

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