What condition qualifies as commercial impracticability?

Commercial impracticability refers to a situation in which unforeseen circumstances significantly alter the performance of a contract, making it exceptionally difficult or costly to fulfill. The essence of this condition lies in the fact that an unexpected event has occurred — one that was not anticipated at the time the contract was formed.

When performance becomes extremely difficult or involves exorbitant costs that were not considered feasible during the contract negotiations, parties may seek to be excused from their contractual obligations based on this principle. The key factor is the element of unpredictability; the event must be one that could not have been foreseen and thus was not included in the risk assessment when the agreement was made.

While a natural disaster could also contribute to a situation of commercial impracticability, it alone does not qualify as the general condition without additional context regarding its impact on performance. The focus in the correct option is on the difficulty or cost incurred, which spans beyond just natural disasters and encompasses various unforeseen circumstances that may arise in a contractual context.