【建纬观点】对外承包工程保函风险防范及保函条款审核要点（二）

Original 吴炜春建纬律师

2024-08-25

作者介绍

吴炜春 毕业于上海大学知识产权学院，现为上海市建纬律师事务所不动产金融部成员、建纬“一带一路”法律服务中心组员。曾先后在西班牙通力律师事务所、华为西班牙代表处、上海西班牙投资置业顾问集团工作，熟悉并擅长国际贸易、跨境知识产权以及私募基金的诉讼和非诉讼法律事务服务。

之前笔者主要阐述了银行保函的风险来源及防范建议，以下是笔者基于以往涉外保函审核业务的经验，建议国内企业和境内银行在保函条款审核中应当注意以下几个关键点：

七. 保函条款审核要点分析

1. 保函生效日

（1）预付款保函的生效日

【原文】

This Guarantee and the Guarantor’s obligations hereunder shall be valid from the date and, shall continue to be so valid with respect to any demand of CONTRACTOR received by the Guarantor not later than the earlier of the following dates: ...

【修改意见】

本保函系境外工程的分包商申请银行开具给总承包商，作为分包商收到的预付款的担保。预付款保函经银行签发后成立，但是还应待承包商向分包商支付预付款后才有限。因此，建议在保函中明确生效日为：承包商向分包商足额支付了预付款之日。

【修订条款】

This Guarantee and the Guarantor’s obligations hereunder shall be valid from the date when the advance payment has been fully paid by CONTRACTOR to SUBCONTRACTOR in accordance with the Contract and shall continue to be so valid with respect to any demand of CONTRACTOR received by the Guarantor not later than the earlier of the following dates: ...

（2）履约保函的生效日

【原文】

NOW THEREFORE, if the Principal (CONTRACTOR) shall well and truly perform and fulfill all the undertakings, covenants, terms and conditions of the said Documents during the original terms of the said Documents and any extensions thereof that may be granted by the EMPLOYER...

【修改意见】

基础合同的主债务期包括项目合同约定的合同期及其延展期，属于非固定期限，根据该条款规定，将导致本履约保函的担保期成为非固定期限。建议将本保函期限设定为固定期限，即根据基础合同的约定，固定期限为自工程开工令指示的开工日起，为期24个月。

建议增加保函生效日、到期日的条款。鉴于生效日以业主的开工令中的开工日为起算点，考虑到实践中开工令由业主单方即可决定，为避免日后保函双方当事人就保函生效日产生不必要的分歧，建议保函生效的开工日应经申请人书面确认。

【增加条款】

This Guarantee shall be effective from the commencement date fixed by the EMPLOYER’s order of project commencement and confirmed by the CONTRACTOR in writing, and shall expire on the earlier of ("Expiry Date"):

a) 24 months after the aforsaid commencement date; or

b) the date of early termination of the Contract.

2. 保函延展期

（1）投标保函的展期

【原文】

if the Bidder is not the successful Bidder, upon the earlier of (i) our receipt of a copy of your notification to the Bidder of the name of the successful Bidder; or (ii) thirty days after the expiration of the validity of the Bidder’s Bid, including extension if any.

【修改意见】

根据招标基础文件，如果投标期延长的，需经投标人的同意，在此情形下，投标人是可以拒绝延长投标保函期限，且该投标保函不被索赔的。因此，建议约定投标保函的最后到期日。

【修订条款】

if the Bidder is not the successful Bidder, upon the earlier of (i) our receipt of a copy of your notification to the Bidder of the name of the successful Bidder; or (ii) thirty days after the expiration of the original validity of the Bidder’s Bid; or (iii) Dec 20, 2018.

（2）履约保函的展期

【原文】

If the amount of the advance payment has not been fully deducted from sums due to SUBCONTRACTOR on account of the advance payment in accordance with the Contract or otherwise fully repaid by the date twenty-eight (28) calendar days prior to the Expiry Date, this Guarantee shall be extended automatically and shall remain valid for successive periods of three (3) months each after (and the Expiry Date postponed accordingly) until the earlier of the date upon which: ...

【修改意见】

对于对外承包工程履约保函，因工程进度受多种因素的影响，极易发生延期，导致保函失效日早于工程竣工日。如果保函可以延展有效期，虽然暂时可以免于被索赔，但是期限延长必然增加不确定性，给国内企业和担保银行增加被索赔的风险。因此，对于保函是否可以延展，应当慎重考虑。对于担保银行而言，建议要求保函展期须经银行事先书面同意，以便根据届时的具体情况做出有利决定。

【修订条款】

If the amount of the advance payment has not been fully deducted from sums due to SUBCONTRACTOR on account of the advance payment in accordance with the Contract or otherwise fully repaid by the date twenty-eight (28) calendar days prior to the Expiry Date, after obtaining the written consent of Guarantor, this Guarantee shall be extended automatically and shall remain valid for successive periods of three (3) months each after (and the Expiry Date postponed accordingly) until the earlier of the date upon which: ...”

3. 保函索赔条件

（1）明确保函索赔的授权签字人

【修改意见】

对于一些位于非发达国家的工程项目，因受政治、经济影响的风险较大，签约主体的授权代表时常会变更，增加了见索即付保函的兑付风险。为避免日后索赔时核实授权签字的真伪，建议在保函中明确受益人的索赔通知应经基础合同中确定的业主授权代表签署。

【增加条款】

Any demand for payment including its accompanied documents must be signed by the EMPLOYER’s authorized officer(s)/ representative(s) as indicated under the Documents.

（2）统一并限制索赔递送和签收方式

【修改意见】

对于直开保函，为增强担保银行在处理保函索赔过程中的可操作性和简便性，建议在保函中尽量约定固定的索赔递送方式，例如仅限于专人递送至银行地址，且经银行书面签收（be left at the address of the addressee with written acknowledgement of receipt by the addressee），或者转开保函通过承包商的代理银行，以SWIFT代码方式递送（delivery by SWIFT code through the Correspondent Bank of the Contractor）。

为了减少担保银行在处理保函索赔过程中主观判断等不可控制因素带来的风险，避免例如“视为签收（deemed receipt）”等主观性判断的约定。

4. 保函转让的约定

对于适用《见索即付保函统一规则》（URDG758）的保函，尽管（URDG758）第33条规定只有在特别说明其是“可转让（transferable）”时，保函才是可以转让的，而且即使保函特别说明其是可以转让的，除非担保人对转让的范围和方式明确表示同意，否则担保人没有义务在保函开立后执行有关转让保函的要求。因此，为了避免保函转让导致的风险，建议在保函中明确约定，未经担保银行同意，保函不得转让。

【增加条款】

Unless with our prior written consent, any rights, benefits and/or interest under this Demand Guarantee shall NOT be assigned or transferred.

5. 保函减额条款的约定

【修改意见】

保函自动减额条款，有利于及时降低保函申请人和担保银行在保函项下被恶意索赔的风险。如果保函适用URDG758规则的，建议在保函中明确约定减额需提交的凭证或文件，便于实际操作；如果保函适用中国法律的，一般情况下，担保合同基于《担保法》的规定属于从合同。基于该从属性，即使保函减额条款中对减额条件和方式都有了明确的约定，保函担保金额的减少还是需要受益人的确认。因此，建议国内企业争取在基础合同中明确约定保函减额的条件和方式，然后再保函中约定保函减额遵循基础合同的相应条款。

【增加条款】

The Beneficiary is entitled to make only one claim under this Performance Guarantee. All payments by the Applicant to the Beneficiary shall be remitted through the Issuer. The Guaranteed Amount shall be reduced by any amount of the Termination Fee paid directly by the Applicant to the Beneficiary pursuant to Section [*] of the Contract, which shall be evidenced by the wire transfer confirmation slip issued by the Issuer. The Applicant shall notify the Issuer of any such reduction to the Guaranteed Amount in a timely manner thereafter.

6. 保函的适用法律和争议解决条款

（1）根据工程所在地正确选择适用的法律

【原文】

This Performance Bank Guarantee shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of Abu Dhabi and the U.A.E.

【修改意见】

该保函约定适用阿布扎比法律，但是阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE，阿联酋）包括7个酋长国，阿布扎比只是其中之一的酋长国，根据阿联酋的宪法，尽管各酋长国均拥有广泛的立法权，阿联酋的联邦法律（Federal laws）同样适用于全部阿联酋内部的酋长国。因此，建议增加联邦法律作为适用法律。

【修订条款】

This Performance Bank Guarantee shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of Abu Dhabi and the Federal laws of the U.A.E. as applicable in Abu Dhabi.

（2）选择适当的争议解决方式

【原文】

We hereby irrevocably agree to submit any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Demand Guarantee for arbitration by Shanghai International Arbitration Center in Shanghai in accordance with its then effective arbitration rules.

【修改意见】

《见索即付保函统一规则》（URDG758）就管辖法律和争议管辖权规定：除非保函另有规定，否则其适用的法律应当是担保人开立保函的分支机构所在地点的法律。

除非保函另有规定，任何担保人和受益人之间与保函有关的争议，应由担保人开立保函的分支机构所在地点的国家有管辖权的法院排他性地解决。对于国内银行出具的直开保函，可以在保函中再进一步明确争议解决方式。

【增加条款】

We hereby irrevocably agree to submit any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Demand Guarantee to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court where the Guarantor is located.

国际业务部

国际业务部是建纬“二次腾飞”暨走向国际化的重要组成部门，汇集国际化背景的专业法律人才，拥有擅长英语、西班牙语、法语、德语、日语、韩语等多种语言的专职律师，将持续地为中国企业在国际工程、国际贸易、国际投资领域提供全方位法律服务。

不动产金融部

不动产金融部作为建纬的重要业务部门之一，致力于为客户提供优质的不动产金融法律服务，已经与众多国内外商业银行建立了业务合作关系，并为多家境内企业成功发行境外债券提供法律服务，对债券发行全过程、债券违约处理等有丰富经验。涉及的业务领域包括：债券类融资、涉外投融资（中国企业境外投融资、外国企业在华投资）、银行（跨境担保、银团、中间业务）、资产证券化（企业资产证券化、信贷资产证券化等）、上市融资、信托、资管计划、私募、融资租赁等。