Unforeseen circumstances are possibly one of the key hurdles
contracting parties (especially those in long-term contracts) may
encounter in international trade. The very foundation of contracts
concluded between parties could be significantly impacted by
natural disasters or shifts in political and economic
conditions.
An earthquake or civil war in one of the producing countries may
compel a producer to resort to other countries with significantly
higher production costs; bans on imports or exports in a country
would prevent goods from reaching to their buyers; or unforeseen
fluctuations in the prices of raw materials at the time of
concluding a contract make performance thereof by the seller unduly
burdensome. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized as
"the darkest hour of humanity" since World War
II. Due to its unparalleled impact on the global economy, two
classic doctrines of contract law, force majeure and hardship, have
been revived with both
