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The Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods was concluded at New York on 14 June 1974. A Protocol to the 1974 Limitation Convention was concluded at Vienna on 11 April 1980. The table below identifies parties to the Convention as amended by the Protocol unless as indicated by note (a).
All dates: DD/MM/YYYY
State |
Notes |
Signature |
Ratification, accession(*), succession(§) or participation under Article VIII or X of the Protocol of 11 April 1980 (†) |
Entry into force |
| Argentina | 19/07/1983(*) | 01/08/1988 | ||
| Belarus | 14/06/1974 | 23/01/1997(*) | 01/08/1997 | |
| Belgium | 01/08/2008(†) | 01/03/2009 | ||
| Benin | (a) | 29/07/2011(*) | 01/02/2012 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | (a) | 12/01/1994(§) | 06/03/1992 | |
| Brazil | 14/06/1974 | |||
| Bulgaria | 24/02/1975 | |||
| Burundi | (a) | 04/09/1998(*) | 01/04/1999 | |
| Costa Rica | 30/08/1974 | |||
| Cuba | 02/11/1994(*) | 01/06/1995 | ||
| Czech Republic | (b), (c) | 30/09/1993(§) | 01/01/1993 | |
| Dominican Republic | (g) | 30/07/2010(*) | 01/02/2011 | |
| Egypt | 06/12/1982(*) | 01/08/1988 | ||
| Ghana | (a) | 05/12/1974 | 07/10/1975 | 01/08/1988 |
| Guinea | 23/01/1991(*) | 01/08/1991 | ||
| Hungary | 14/06/1974 | 16/06/1983(*) | 01/08/1988 | |
| Liberia | 16/09/2005(†) | 01/04/2006 | ||
| Mexico | 21/01/1988(*) | 01/08/1988 | ||
| Mongolia | 14/06/1974 | |||
| Montenegro | (a) | 23/10/2006(§) | 03/06/2006 | |
| Nicaragua | 13/05/1975 | |||
| Norway | (a), (d) | 11/12/1975 | 20/03/1980 | 01/08/1988 |
| Paraguay | 18/08/2003(*) | 01/03/2004 | ||
| Poland | 14/06/1974 | 19/05/1995(†) | 01/12/1995 | |
| Republic of Moldova | 28/08/1997(*) | 01/03/1998 | ||
| Romania | 23/04/1992(†) | 01/11/1992 | ||
| Russian Federation | (e) | 14/06/1974 | ||
| Serbia | (a), (f) | 12/03/2001(§) | 27/04/1992 | |
| Slovakia | (b), (c) | 28/05/1993(§) | 01/01/1993 | |
| Slovenia | 02/08/1995(†) | 01/03/1996 | ||
| Uganda | 12/02/1992(†) | 01/09/1992 | ||
| Ukraine | (a) | 14/06/1974 | 13/09/1993 | 01/04/1994 |
| United States of America | (c) | 05/05/1994(†) | 01/12/1994 | |
| Uruguay | 01/04/1997(†) | 01/11/1997 | ||
| Zambia | 06/06/1986(*) | 01/08/1988 |
Parties (as amended by the Protocol of 11 April 1980): 21
Parties (unamended): 29
The text of the Convention, as amended, has been established by the Secretary-General, as provided for by article XIV of the Protocol.
In accordance with its article VIII, paragraph 1, the Protocol is open for accession by all States.
In accordance with article VIII, paragraph 2, of the Protocol, accession to the Protocol by any State that is not a Contracting Party to the unamended Convention shall have the effect of accession to the amended Convention, subject to the provisions of article XI of the Protocol.
In accordance with article X of the Protocol, ratification of or accession to the unamended Convention after the entry into force of the Protocol shall also constitute a ratification of or accession to the amended Convention if the State notifies the depositary accordingly.
In accordance with article XI of the Protocol, the Contracting Parties to the amended Convention are considered to be also Contracting Parties to the unamended Convention in relation to any Contracting Party to the unamended Convention not yet a Contracting Party to the 1980 Protocol, unless the depositary is notified to the contrary.
The German Democratic Republic was a participant by virtue of its accession on 31 August 1989 to the Protocol of 11 April 1980. The Convention had been signed by the former German Democratic Republic on 14 June 1974, ratified by it on 31 August 1989 and entered into force on 1 March 1990.
For information on which States listed above are Parties to the 1980 amending Protocol, consult the United Nations Treaty Collection.
(a) Party only to the unamended Convention.
(b) Czechoslovakia was a participant to the amended Convention and the Protocol by virtue of its accession to the Protocol on 5 March 1990 (with effect from 1 October 1990). From 1 August 1988 to 30 September 1990, it was a Party to the unamended Convention. On 28 May and 30 September 1993, respectively, Slovakia and the Czech Republic deposited instruments of succession with effect from 1 January 1993, the date of succession of both States.
(c) Upon accession, Czechoslovakia and the United States of America declared that, pursuant to article XII, they did not consider themselves bound by article I.
(d) Upon signature, Norway declared, and confirmed upon ratification, that, in accordance with article 34, the Convention would not govern contracts of sale where the seller and the buyer both had their relevant places of business within the territories of the Nordic States (i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden).
(e) The Russian Federation continues, as from 24 December 1991, the membership of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the United Nations and maintains, as from that date, full responsibility for all the rights and obligations of the USSR under the Charter of the United Nations and the multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General.
(f) The former Yugoslavia acceded to the Convention on 27 November 1978. On 12 March 2001 the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia declared the following:
"The Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, having considered [the Convention], succeeds to the same and undertakes faithfully to perform and carry out the stipulations therein contained as from April 27, 1992, the date upon which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia assumed responsibility for its international relations."
(g) From 1 August 1988 to 31 January 2011, the Dominican Republic was a Party to the unamended Convention.