11.1: Introduction
One of the drawbacks of federalism is that states can implement different laws. This was a serious problem as the US economy grew beyond local and state-based industries to economies of scale during the Twentieth Century because it hampered economic growth. In response, business leaders demanded consistent laws to facilitate trade across the nation, especially for the sale of goods across state lines.
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a proposed set of laws developed by legal experts and business leaders to govern commercial transactions, including sale of goods, secured transactions, and negotiable instruments. The UCC was created in 1952 and its advocates lobbied the states and territories to adopt it. The UCC has been adopted in some form by all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. Interestingly, it is the only “national” law not enacted by Congress.
This chapter will focus on important provisions that relate to sales contracts that have been adopted by most, if not all, states.