Offer

An Offer is a proposal by a seller or buyer in international trade stating the terms of a transaction and expressing willingness to conclude a sales contract on those terms. Legally, once an offer is effectively accepted by the offeree, the contract is formed, so the offer is binding on the offeror. Usage scenarios include: an exporter quoting to a potential customer, the other party making an offer after an importer's inquiry, or a formal offer during negotiations between both parties. Notes: An offer should clearly state the main transaction terms such as name of goods, specifications, quantity, price, packing, delivery time, and payment method; and indicate the validity period (e.g., 'This offer is valid for 5 days'). Offers are divided into firm offers (binding and irrevocable) and non-firm offers (non-binding and revocable); in practice, clauses such as 'subject to our final confirmation' are often used to distinguish them. Unlike an Inquiry, which asks about transaction terms and has no legal binding force; and unlike a Counter-offer, which rejects the original offer and proposes new terms, causing the original offer to lapse.