The quantity clause is one of the essential clauses of a contract. According to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, an international contract for the sale of goods without a quantity clause is invalid.
(I) Units of measurement
There are many units of measurement used in international trade in goods. The choice of unit of measurement depends mainly on the type, characteristics, trade practices and wishes of the two parties to the transaction.
For specific units of measurement, please refer to the unit of measurement code table published by the General Administration of Customs.
(II) Methods of measuring weight
In international trade in goods, most goods are measured by weight. According to general business practices, there are several methods for calculating weight:
1. Gross Weight
The weight of the goods themselves plus the weight of the packaging is the gross weight, which is generally applicable to low-value goods.
2. Net Weight
The weight of the goods themselves, that is, the actual weight after removing the packaging, is called net weight, which is the most common weight measurement method in international trade. However, some agricultural products or mineral products of lower value are sometimes also measured by the method of “gross for net”, that is, the gross weight is used as the net weight for pricing.
3. Other weights
Other weights include conditional weight, theoretical weight, legal weight and net net weight. We will not elaborate on them one by one here, and they are not widely used in international trade practice.
(III) Basic content of quantity clauses
Quantity clauses mainly include the quantity of the transaction goods, measurement units, measurement methods and over- or under-loading clauses.
For example:
Quantity: 100 M/T, 5% more or less at Seller’s option at contracted price. (Quantity: 100 metric tons, 5% over- or under-loading, determined by the seller, and the over- or under-loading part is calculated based on the contract price.)