Free export sales contract template

Put the deal in writing before you ship: who sells and buys what, at what price and on which Incoterms rule, how and when the buyer pays, when the goods ship, who insures them and which documents the buyer gets. Download the Excel template or make the contract online from the same data as your invoice.

What the template covers

Seller and buyer details, contract number and date
Goods: description, HS code, quantity, unit price and amount
Total value, currency and amount in words
Incoterms 2020 rule and named place
Payment terms
Port of loading, destination and shipment date
Packing and marking
Insurance (who insures, and the cover)
Documents the seller provides
Other terms (quality, claims, force majeure, disputes)
Signatures of both parties

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Guides on this topic

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Sales contract, proforma invoice or purchase order?

A proforma invoice is the seller's offer and a purchase order is the buyer's offer; a deal is made when the other side accepts, for example by signing or confirming it. A sales contract puts the agreed terms in one document that both parties sign, which helps for larger orders, long relationships and payment by letter of credit, where the bank works only with documents.

What an export sales contract should cover

The goods and their specification, quantity and price, the currency, the Incoterms 2020 rule with a named place, the payment terms, the shipment period and route, packing and marking, who insures the goods, the documents the seller must provide, and how quality complaints, delays and disputes are handled. Write dates and numbers exactly as they will appear on the invoice.

Before you sign

Check that the contract matches the proforma invoice or purchase order line by line, that the Incoterms rule fits how the goods will really move, and that the payment terms match the letter of credit if there is one. Terms on quality, claims, force majeure, governing law and disputes have legal effect, so have them reviewed by a lawyer who knows the rules of both countries.

Common questions

Is a sales contract required for exports?

Not always: many deals run on an accepted proforma invoice or purchase order. A signed sales contract is still useful because it records every agreed term in one place, and banks, insurers or customs may ask to see it.

Which law applies to an international sales contract?

The law the parties choose in the contract. If they choose none, the court or arbitrator decides. In many countries the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) applies automatically to sales between businesses in different member countries unless the contract excludes it, so check this with a lawyer.

Can I make the contract from my invoice data?

Yes. In the free generator, fill in the form once and open the Sales contract tab: the seller, buyer, goods, prices, Incoterms rule, payment and shipment details are filled in, and anything you write in Remarks is printed as other terms.

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