ADM Industries Centers Ltd v Inerco Trade SA [2026] EWHC 1873 (Comm) - King's Bench Division, Commercial Court (Paul Stanley KC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) - 23 July 2026

Sale of goods - GAFTA Form 48 - Delay caused by withdrawal of inspection - Force majeure - Meaning of "unforeseeable" - Whether timely notice of force majeure event a condition precedent - Extension of shipment following force majeure

By a contract of sale governed by English law dated 10 February 2023 the defendant sellers, Inerco, agreed to sell to the claimant buyers, ADM, 60,000 mt +/- 10 per cent Ukrainian corn at the sellers' option, CIF FO Ashdod/Haifa Israel. The shipment period was between 15 April and 15 May 2023. The contract incorporated GAFTA Form 48. There were two provisions of the contract relevant for present purposes.