国际贸易实务双语教程[第3版]Unit03.pptVIP

;Review What is an Enquiry? What is an Offer? What is an acceptance? What are the two indispensable links for reaching an agreement of contract?;Main Point in this Unit;Introduction Business as we know it today would be impossible if there was no agreement or contract to bind the contracting parties. Long ago, people devised a means for bargaining for the conduct of others by exchanging promises. The exchange of promises came to be known as “agreements” and gradually became very important in the lives of the people and in the field of business. ;A promise or an agreement is reached as a result of the process of offer and acceptance. When an agreement is reached, a contract is formed, which creates legal obligations enforceable by law. Contracts can be long or short, formal or informal, simple or complicated, and verbal or written, of which the most popular is the written contract for pre-printed contract. ;The importance of a contract in an international sales transaction cannot be underestimated. So the exporter should avoid viewing the contract merely as a document that initiates transaction and subsequently is filed and forgotten. Contracts must be drafted with an awareness of the background of the law in which the transaction takes place, with a clear conception of the various services it may be called upon to render, etc. ;Section One Definition of the Contract;A contract is an agreement which sets forth binding obligations of the relevant parties. It is enforceable by law, and any party that fails to fulfill his contractual obligations may be sued and forced to make compensation, though most contracts do not give rise to disputes. ;A contract proper includes: 1)the full name and address of the buyer and the seller; 2) the commodities involved; 3) all the terms and conditions agreed upon; 4) indication of the number of original copies of the contract, the language used, the term of validity and possible extension of the contract. ;1.