Responsibilities remain undefined when a supplier scope is silent on who handles a task or bears a cost. The U.S. International Trade Administration says a pro forma invoice should state the terms of sale or Incoterm used and include the delivery point; if either is missing, those fields do not establish the intended sale and delivery arrangement. The agency says the invoice can identify the buyer’s reference, so its absence is not by itself proof that a mandatory field is missing.
How to check the scope
- Check the sale terms or Incoterm. Look for the terms of sale or Incoterm actually used by the supplier. If the wording is absent or unclear, request clarification in writing.
- Locate the delivery point. The delivery point should be stated rather than left to interpretation. If it is missing, ask the supplier to identify the agreed point.
- Review the buyer’s reference. A pro forma invoice can include a buyer’s reference. Buyers who need quotations, invoices, and payment records matched should ask for that reference to be shown; the cited wording does not establish a universal requirement.
- Look beyond the invoice fields. The presence of sale terms, an Incoterm, a delivery point, or a buyer’s reference does not by itself allocate every operational duty or cost.
What buyers must still confirm
The cited guidance does not assign responsibility for the following matters. Each remains undefined for comparison purposes unless another written document or supplier confirmation resolves it:
- Pickup, loading, unloading, and delivery
- Customs clearance
- Duties, taxes, and insurance
- Inspection or testing
- Payment timing and the allocation of charges
- Exclusions, returns, and claim handling
These are practical verification questions, not a list of universal legal or regulatory requirements. A missing detail is a reason to seek clarification, not by itself proof of breach or non-compliance.
A concise written request can ask the supplier to confirm the terms of sale or Incoterm used, the delivery point, whether a buyer’s reference should appear, and which party is responsible for each additional task, charge, risk, and exclusion. Until those answers are documented, the buyer should treat the unresolved matters as unassigned rather than infer an allocation from silence.