International Distribution Agreement

International Distribution Agreement

Cross-border distribution agreement allocating commercial risk, regulatory responsibility, and IP protection between supplier and distributor.

Prerequisites

Collect before drafting:

1. Parties — legal names, entity type, jurisdiction, registration numbers, signing authority
2. Products — specs, regulatory classification, IP ownership, trademarks, certifications
3. Territory — countries/​regions, customer carve-outs, online/​direct sales rules, sub-distributor rights
4. Commercial terms — pricing model, currency, credit support, minimums/​targets, forecast cadence
5. Logistics — Incoterms (current ICC edition), named place/​port, inspection timeline, insurance
6. Compliance — export/​import regimes, sanctions lists, anti-bribery laws, data protection triggers
7. Disputes — governing law, forum/​arbitration seat, language, interim relief preferences

Workflow

1. Intake — capture assumptions and open variables; confirm with user
2. Appointment — exclusivity, territory, channels, reserved customers, performance thresholds
3. Transaction mechanics — orders, acceptance, pricing, payment/​security, delivery, risk/​title
4. Compliance — export controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, product regulatory, data protection
5. IP/​brand — license scope, approvals, infringement handling, confidentiality, post-term cleanup
6. Exit and disputes — term/​renewal, termination, sell-off, governing law, CISG, arbitration
7. Boilerplate — independent contractor, assignment/​change of control, force majeure, notices

Clause Map

Template Skeleton

1. Definitions
2. Appointment and Territory
3. Products; Forecasts
4. Orders; Acceptance; Cancellations
5. Pricing; Taxes/​Duties; Adjustments
6. Payment Terms; Credit Support
7. Delivery; Incoterms; Title/​Risk
8. Inspection; Returns; Warranty
9. Compliance: Export/​Import; Sanctions; Anti-Corruption; Regulatory; Data
10. IP License; Brand Use; Infringement
11. Confidentiality; Records; Audit
12. Indemnities; Limitation of Liability
13. Term; Renewal; Termination
14. Post-Term Obligations; Sell-Off
15. Dispute Resolution; Governing Law; CISG
16. General: Independent Contractor; Assignment; Force Majeure; Notices; Amendments; Counterparts
17. Signatures

Pitfalls and Checks

• Exclude CISG by default — include only if parties affirmatively opt in
• Specify Incoterms with named place/​port and ICC edition year
• If exclusivity granted, define performance thresholds, measurement period, and cure mechanism
• Allocate import duties, VAT, and clearance responsibilities explicitly
• Require ongoing sanctions screening for parties and sub-distributors
• Include anti-corruption representations with audit/​records obligations
• Specify which party is registrant/​applicant for product regulatory approvals
• Add cross-border data transfer mechanism if personal data is involved
• Carve out IP, confidentiality, and compliance breaches from liability caps
• Provide sell-off period with payment obligations and brand-use limits post-termination