In other words, it is a lite version of the international sales contract.
Proforma invoice is expected to be issued by the seller, also known as exporter in international trade, at the beginning of the transactions.
Contents of the proforma invoice may change from industry to industry, customer to customer or country to country. There is no fix and single format available.
But in general terms, by preparing a proforma invoice; exporter mainly defines and conveys following information to the importer:
- the price of the goods
- description of goods
- quantity and quality of the goods
- packaging
- delivery terms
- delivery period
- modes of transport
- payment method