论信用证法律适用的发展新趋势——以司法判例为视角

On the New Trends in Governing Law of the Letter of Credit——From the Perspective of the Cases

根据当事人意思自治原则,信用证的当事人,即信用证开证行与信用证受益人,可以选择UCP600或者相关国家的国内实体法作为信用证的准据法。如果当事人未作选择的,法院应适用与信用证有最密切联系的国家的法律。而确定最密切联系地的核心是界定信用证的履行地。英美国家司法判例表明,法院对信用证履行地的界定经历了从付款地到信用证开证地的发展历程,体现了信用证法律适用的新趋势。而美国《统一商法典(信用证篇)》第5-116(b)将信用证履行地界定为信用证开证行所在地,并规定适用信用证开证行所在地国家的法律,进一步佐证了这种新趋势。

The parties of the L/C, the issuing bank and the beneficiary of L/C, are entitled to choose UCP600 or domestic substantive laws as the governing law of the L/C, on the base of party autonomy in private international law. Without selection of the governing law, the court shall apply the law which has the most significant relationship with the L/C. The key point is the determination of the place of performance on the L/C. The cases made by the English and American courts show the trends from the place of payment to the place of issuance as the place of performance. This is the new trends in governing law of the letter of credit. The Uniform Commercial Code 5 - 116 （b）, which provides that the place of issuance is place of performance, and the law of the place of issuing bank shall be applied, confirms such new trends.