CHINA SOURCING · September 15, 2026
China Purchase Order and Contract Checklist for Overseas Buyers
A useful purchase order connects the commercial promise to a product reference, a responsible party and a decision you can verify. Use this operational checklist to prepare the agreement; the legal form, applicable law and enforceability need transaction-specific review.
1. Identify the seller and everyone handling the transaction
Record the buyer and seller’s full legal names and addresses, the seller’s Chinese registered name and registration details, and the authorised contacts. Distinguish the contractual seller from a brand name, production site or sales agent.
Where a factory, trading company, exporter or payment collector is involved, document each role and the explanation for any mismatch. Identify the approved beneficiary and require independent verification before account details change. A complete-looking invoice does not resolve an unexplained recipient.
2. Attach a controlled product specification
Use identifiable SKU lines with quantities, units, materials, dimensions, tolerances, performance requirements, artwork, packaging and labels. Reference the approved sample and drawing revision. List substitutions that require prior written approval.
For example, an illustrative order for storage boxes might refer to sample SB-03 and specification revision C, including carton markings and lid-fit criteria. If the supplier later proposes a different material, record the revised specification, price, tests and approval before production proceeds. A general description such as premium quality cannot resolve that decision.
3. Define price and delivery precisely
State currency, unit prices, totals, quantity tolerances, included costs and separately payable tooling, samples, testing or changes. Name the delivery point precisely and identify the intended Incoterms edition where used.
ICC explains that Incoterms allocate particular delivery obligations, costs and risks; they are not a complete sale contract and do not determine ownership transfer or the full payment arrangement. Agree those matters separately. Avoid assuming that choosing a three-letter term settles every commercial question.
4. Link payment milestones to evidence
Agree what starts production and what evidence is required before each payment. Depending on the order, this might include approved specifications, production completion, an inspection report, correction of listed defects or specified shipping documents. Identify who reviews the evidence and authorises release.
Keep the payment mechanism and delivery sequence workable together. Do not write a milestone that requires a document unavailable at that stage, or assume a supplier will accept conditions introduced after the deposit. Resolve those details before signing or paying.
5. Set dates, change control and inspection rules
Separate production completion from warehouse handover, shipment and estimated arrival. State the start conditions and process for handling buyer changes, supplier delay and quantity variance. Identify who can approve a change and how it affects price and timing.
Specify inspection stage, criteria, sampling method, defect categories, access and report requirements. Agree what happens after failure: correction, reinspection, replacement, delay or another negotiated remedy, including responsibility for costs. A sampled inspection result should not be described as a guarantee for every unit.
6. Name document owners and resolve conflicting terms
List the required invoice, packing list, transport documents and product-specific records. Identify who prepares them, the review deadline and how discrepancies will be corrected. Confirm destination requirements with the importer or appropriate adviser.
Reconcile the purchase order, supplier quotation, pro forma invoice, sample approval and general terms. Specify which document and language controls if they conflict. Keep one approved version accessible to the people managing payment, inspection and shipping.
7. Review the legal framework before relying on a remedy
UNCITRAL explains that the CISG may govern qualifying international sales, depending on factors including the parties’ places of business and applicable law. Its scope has limits; a checklist cannot establish whether it applies to a particular transaction or whether a proposed clause is enforceable.
Ask qualified counsel to review applicable law, dispute resolution, authority to sign and material remedies where needed. Do not assume that a stamp, penalty clause or preferred court automatically makes recovery straightforward. Retain the agreed contract and attachments, acceptance record and later approved changes.
MORENICE can help coordinate supplier and execution evidence within an agreed scope. The buyer should finish with a clear record of what is being bought, who is responsible, when action is due and what evidence supports each release decision.