Mastering international contracts: From strategy to success

Developing well-written contracts is one of the most important steps when expanding into international markets. A strong contract can help exporters manage risk, clarify responsibilities, protect intellectual property (IP) and reduce the likelihood of costly disputes.

Whether you’re negotiating with international buyers, suppliers, distributors, or strategic partners, understanding how to structure and negotiate effective international agreements can help your company grow with greater confidence.

This on-demand webinar explores the key components of international contracts, highlights common mistakes exporters make and provides practical advice on protecting your business as you enter new markets.

What you’ll learn

By watching this webinar, you’ll learn:

• Why international contracts are critical to export success
• Key clauses that help protect exporters from commercial and legal risk
• Best practices for negotiating international agreements
• How payment terms influence risk and cash flow
• The role of governing law and dispute resolution clauses
• How Incoterms affect shipping obligations and risk transfer
• What to do when contracts are delayed, cancelled, or disputed
• How to protect IP when operating internationally
• Common international contract mistakes and how to avoid them
• Practical approaches to strengthening cross-border business relationships

Why this matters

International trade creates opportunities for growth, but it also introduces legal, financial and operational complexity that domestic businesses may not encounter.

Without clearly defined contractual terms, exporters may face:

• Payment disputes
• Delivery disagreements
• Unclear responsibilities
• IP concerns
• Regulatory issues
• Supply chain disruptions
• Costly legal proceedings

Strong contracts help define expectations, allocate risk and create a framework for resolving disagreements before they become major business problems.

Contracts should also be part of a broader strategy. For tips on making contracts stronger, review the commercial contract terms guide.

Our panel

Moderator

Speakers

Expert insights from our panel

With practical legal, trade compliance and export experience, our panel brings the insight exporters need to build stronger international agreements. You’ll hear from:

• Audrey Ross, CITP, Import & Export Compliance Manager at Orchard Custom Beauty. She brings hands-on experience in global shipping, trade compliance and supply chain operations, with practical insights into customs requirements, international documentation and cross-border responsibilities.
• Jon Drimmer, Partner at Paul Hastings LLP. He brings deep legal experience to help exporters understand how international contracts can reduce commercial and legal risk, address governing law and dispute resolution, and protect business interests when operating across borders.

Our moderator is Kathleen Childs, Legal Counsel at Export Development Canada. She brings an EDC perspective on how Canadian exporters can use well-written contracts to clarify responsibilities, manage disputes, protect revenue and support international growth.

Key topics covered

Understanding international contracts

International contracts set the legal and commercial terms for cross-border deals, helping clarify expectations, assign responsibilities and reduce misunderstandings.

Negotiating successful international agreements

Successful negotiations start with clear priorities, practical risk management and contract terms that support your long-term business goals.

Protecting our interests

Strong agreements document obligations, payments and performance expectations. For more guidance, learn how to negotiate international contracts and protect your business interests.

Payment terms and financial protection

Clear payment terms help reduce financial uncertainty, set expectations and support more predictable cash flow.

Exporters can also manage payment risk with export receivables credit insurance and support growth with EDC’s working capital solutions.

Governing law and dispute resolution

Governing law and dispute resolution clauses help establish which rules apply and how disagreements will be handled if issues arise.

Understanding Incoterms and contract responsibilities

Incoterms define shipping responsibilities, costs and risk transfer. Exporters can review EDC’s guide to understanding Incoterms and international shipping responsibilities.