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Pro Forma Invoice
Documentation for providing a quote to a potential foreign buyer.

Pro Forma Invoice

Get tips on how a pro forma invoice can help you negotiate an export sales agreement with a foreign buyer in this video:

Download Video: Negotiate Sales Agreement with Pro Forma Invoices
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A pro forma invoice is a quote in an invoice format that may be required by the buyer to apply for an import license, contract for pre-shipment inspection, open a letter of credit or arrange for transfer of hard currency.

A pro forma may not be a required shipping document, but it can provide detailed information that buyers need in order to legally import the product.

Pro forma invoices basically contain much of the same information as the formal quotation, and in many cases can be used in place of one.  It should give the buyer as much information about the order as possible so arrangements can be made efficiently.

The invoices inform the buyer and the appropriate import government authorities details of the future shipment; changes should not be made without the buyer’s consent.

As mentioned for the quotation, the points to be included in the pro forma are:

  1. Seller’s name and address
  2. Buyer’s name and address
  3. Buyer’s reference
  4. Items quoted
  5. Prices of items: per unit and extended totals
  6. Weights and dimensions of quoted products
  7. Discounts, if applicable
  8. Terms of sale or Incoterm used (include delivery point)
  9. Terms of payment
  10. Estimated shipping date
  11. Validity date

For more information, visit the export documentation webpage. 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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