A tile purchase contract for a single order should name the parties, describe the goods precisely, fix the quantity, grade and shipment date, state the payment terms and say what happens if the goods do not match. If a point is not written down, you will struggle to enforce it later.
This is a practical outline, not legal advice. Have a lawyer familiar with international sales review the contract, especially for larger orders.
Who are the parties, and what are they selling?
Use the full legal names and addresses of both companies, as they appear on registration documents, and name the factory that will actually make the goods. A contract with a trader that does not name the producing factory leaves you unable to audit or hold anyone to the specification. See trader or manufacturer.
Describe the product in a schedule: design name and code, size, thickness, finish, body type, grade, shade reference and number of faces. Attach photographs and a signed reference sample. Set the technical limits, such as water absorption, breaking strength and calibre tolerance, against a named standard; see vitrified floor tile specification.
Which commercial clauses matter most?
These clauses carry most of the commercial risk:
- Quantity and tolerance, stated in square metres and boxes, with the permitted variation.
- Price and currency, and what the price includes, using an Incoterm such as FOB, CIF or DAP; see FOB, CIF or DAP.
- Payment terms, including any advance, the balance, and the documents that trigger release.
- Shipment date or production window, and the port of loading.
- Packing: carton marking, pallets, strapping and ISPM 15 treatment of wood.
How do you make quality enforceable?
Specify the grade and say it must be consistent throughout, with one shade and one calibre per shipment; see avoiding mixed grades in a tile shipment. State your right to inspect before shipment, by your own representative or a third party, and make the balance payment depend on a passing report.
Define what counts as a defect, using a standard or acceptance quality level rather than a general word like 'good'. AQL for tile inspection explains one approach. Also agree a claims window and a procedure: how fast you must report, what evidence you must provide, and what remedy follows.
What about delays, remedies and disputes?
State what happens if production or shipment is late, or the goods fail inspection: re-sort, replace, discount or cancel with refund. Tile contract penalty clauses covers sensible wording. Include force majeure language that is specific about gas supply interruptions, since they affect Morbi; see planning around Morbi shutdowns.
Finally, agree the governing law and how disputes are settled. Arbitration with a named seat is often preferred for cross-border sales, because court judgments are hard to enforce abroad. If you plan repeat orders, see long-term tile supply agreements.
Next step
Keep the contract short enough that both sides read it. A two-page agreement with a clear specification schedule is more useful than a long form nobody checks. Sign and exchange the final version, and make sure any later change is also written down and agreed by both parties.
We work from your contract: we check that the specification can be met, audit the factory, test the lots and supervise loading, so the written terms are actually delivered. Book a free sourcing review.