Many China supplier cases are built on purchase orders, quotes, pro forma invoices, emails, WeChat messages, and standard terms rather than a single signed master contract. Those records need to be organized before filing.
Compare purchase orders, quotes, invoices, terms and conditions, specifications, acknowledgments, and payment instructions.
Look for forum, governing law, arbitration, notice, inspection, warranty, rejection, limitation-of-liability, and payment terms.
Confirm whether the PO, invoice issuer, factory, bank beneficiary, exporter, and Chinese legal entity line up before Hague service begins.
A purchase order can define the buyer, seller, goods, price, delivery terms, inspection rights, forum, governing law, and payment obligations. If the supplier accepted by performance, shipment, or invoice, the PO record may become central evidence.
Review the PO, supplier quote, pro forma invoice, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, inspection report, payment receipt, email chain, WeChat messages, and any terms incorporated by reference.
Chinese suppliers may argue that the wrong entity was named, the buyer accepted goods, the PO terms were never accepted, the dispute belongs in arbitration, or damages are limited by written terms. These defenses should be anticipated before service.
The complaint and service package should use names, addresses, exhibits, and translations consistently. If the English trade name differs from the Chinese legal name, registry and payment evidence should connect the entities.
Do not let negotiations, partial records, or informal notice hide threshold problems. Forum, deadline, defendant identity, service validity, and recovery evidence should be reviewed together.
Often yes, but counsel should review acceptance, incorporated terms, payment records, delivery documents, entity identity, and any forum or arbitration language.
That mismatch should be resolved before filing if possible, because it can affect defendant identity, Hague service, and collection strategy.
Key pleadings and exhibits often need careful Chinese translation if they are part of the Hague service package or support default motion practice.