CASE STUDY

On June 12, 2021, a Chinese export company which has its place of business in Shanghai, sent an offer by mail to a French trading with its place of business in Paris. The offer concerned 100 sofas with silk cushions at a specified price and said it would stand open until July 10. The French company found the price too high and answered by mail a couple of days later that they were not interested in the offer. But at the end of June, the French shop regretted this and sent an acceptance of the offer by e-mail. The manage of Chinese company read the e-mail on July 8. The Chinese company was informed that the prices of sofas and silk cushions were rising rapidly, so the manage refused the e-mail immediately. However, the French company held that the contract was made and asked the Chinese company to fulfil the contract.

Question: Was there a contract between the parties? Why? Please apply legal rules to analize the case.

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