Sale by Specification

Sale by Specification is a common method of sale by description in international trade. It refers to the buyer or seller specifying in the contract the specifications, composition, content, dimensions, performance and other indicators of the goods by means of text, charts, data, etc., and using these as the basis for delivery quality. It is suitable for industrial products, raw materials, parts and components that are difficult to standardize or require clear technical parameters. When using it, the specification description should be accurate, complete and unambiguous, and reasonable tolerances or quality latitude should be stated. Unlike sale by sample, sale by specification does not rely on a physical sample and is entirely based on the written description, so consistency of documents is crucial. The difference from sale by standard is that in sale by specification the parties agree on the specifications themselves, while sale by standard refers to recognized standards (such as ISO, ASTM). When adopting this term, the seller must ensure that the goods delivered conform to the specifications stipulated in the contract; otherwise the buyer has the right to reject the goods or claim damages.