
In international trade practice,"Entrust"Export agentThe standard expression is "Export Agency Agreement".Or Entrustment of Export Agency. According to the "International" released by the International Chamber of Commerce in 2020,Trade termsThe Supplementary Notes to the General Rules of Interpretation further clarify that when it comes to legally authorized relationships, it is more advisable to use"Appointed Export Agent"The way of expression.
The English expression of different agency models directly affects the validity of contracts:
- Exclusive Agency Agreement:Exclusive Agency Agreement
- General Agency Agreement:Non-exclusive Agency Contract
- Commission agent:Commission Agent Agreement
- Exclusive agency:Del Credere Agency Arrangement
While handling the 2022 Sino-US trade dispute cases, we found that translation discrepancies in the following clauses often lead to legal disputes:
- Agency scope:Territorial Restrictions
- Error case: Translating "華東地區(qū)" directly as "East China" triggered jurisdictional disputes.
- Commission structure:Remuneration Structure
- Minimum sales volume:Minimum Performance Guarantee
According toInternational logisticsThe 2024 industry report by the association highlights the three most common translation errors as follows:
- "Mistranslated 'FOB指定貨代' as 'FOB Agent' (correct translation should be 'Nominated Forwarder')."
- Confusing the legal definitions of "Agent" and "Distributor"
- 付款條件中TT與LC的混用(Telegraphic Transfer vs Letter of Credit)
Although the International Chamber of Commerce has not yet officially released Incoterms? 2025, according to the 2024 draft pre-review version:
- New digital additionsConditions of TradeDAP(Delivered At Platform)
- Revise the division of shipping responsibilities under FCA terms.
- It is recommended to use new document expressions such as "Blockchain-based Bill of Lading."
It is recommended to adopt a three-step verification method:
- Check the terminology database on the official customs website of the target country (e.g., U.S. CBP Glossary).
- Verify bidirectionally using the WTO terminology database.
- Engage professionals holding CIIT (Certified International Trade Translator) certification to conduct the review.