I think the point people are missing is this. . . 
American law governs the policies and rules of a 
credit card company when the company is based in 
the US. When foreign companies deal with said 
credit card company, they are bound - NOT by US 
law - but by the **RULES OF THE CREDIT CARD 
COMPANY**.

Yes, in the long run, it was started by US laws. 
But the rules of the credit card company stand 
whenever you deal with that company - independant 
of US law.  (For example, let's say that US law 
allowed the charges to be passed on, but the Visa 
company decided it would NOT allow it's acceptors 
to do such. It's legal for them to make that a 
rule of theirs, irregardless of the law, and that 
is the rule a foreign company would have to 
follow too.)

Many Sharp Smiles,
--Drac