A contract is an agreement by which two parties mutually promise to buy or sell some products. In practice, some informal contracts may be reached orally. This is understandable, but may lead to unfortunate consequences. A reasonable exporter should at least insist on strict observance of the legal requirements in case of orders that are not routine transactions. When the goods ordered represent a considerable value, a formal contract embodying all terms of the agreement should be prepared in duplicate；each copy should be signed by both parties,and each party should retain a copy of the contract.
一份合同是买卖双方共同保证买卖某些产品的 协定。在商业行为中，有些非正式合同是口头达 成的。这是可以理解的，但可能酿成严重后果。一个明智的出口商至少应在遇到非同寻常的订 货时坚持严格要求按法规履约。当订购货物金 额较大时，应准备体现所有协议条款的合同一式 两份，在每份合同上双方均需签字，然后每方保 留一份。
