• Where each party is

  Each party's country, address and registration details, with each address as its place of business for the agreement.

• Price, currency and exchange

  The currency, how a conversion rate is fixed, who bears conversion and transfer costs, who bears exchange-rate movement and what the parties do if it moves beyond a figure you write in.

• Payment, taxes and withholding

  Which account and country, bank charges at each end, when payment counts as made, and a statement that each party takes its own tax advice.

• Delivery, permissions and trade limits

  Delivery terms written out, risk and title, who handles clearance, permissions each party must get at home and restrictions on destinations or end uses.

• Language, law, disputes and security

  The language of the deal, a choice of governing law and forum or arbitration as you write it, a section acknowledging that enforcement abroad is not assured, and optional security for performance.

A cross-border business agreement records an arrangement between two parties established in different countries: where each is, what they are doing together, what each will do, the price and currency, how payment is made and converted, taxes and withholding, delivery and risk, permissions each needs at home, restrictions on where goods may go, the language of the deal, the governing law, where disputes go and how notices are given.

This is a blank form completed by hand and signed by both sides. It records what the parties choose. It does not tell either of you what either country requires, and it does not say whose law applies or whether a choice will be respected: that depends on the countries involved. Each party should take advice in its own country, and the form says so.

Not sure? Talk to an attorney about your situation first.

These are separate documents, for different jobs.

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• A manufacturer supplies goods to a distributor in another country
• A consultancy provides services to a client abroad, paid in the client's currency
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