An annual supply agreement turns repeat EV charger orders into one written framework instead of a fresh negotiation every shipment. It fixes five things: forecast and commitment, price review, quality and change control, delivery terms, and exit. Everything else — each batch’s quantity, price and date — is handled by short call-off orders under that framework.
Key Takeaways
- An annual agreement fixes the framework — forecast, price review, change control, delivery, exit — while call-off orders fix each shipment.
- The commitment is what the supplier’s pricing rests on; write down the consequence of missing it.
- Change control needs its own clause: no key component changes without written approval.
- Draft exit and spare-parts terms at the start, and have your own legal adviser review the agreement.
The Clause Checklist
Work through it clause by clause. The test for each: could a new employee on either side read it and know what happens?
| Clause | What to put in writing | The failure it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and specification | Models covered, with the agreed specification as an annex — ratings, connector, cable, branding | Goods arriving to a different spec than the one approved |
| Forecast and commitment | A rolling forecast, the firm window inside it, and the minimum committed over the term | Components bought for volume that never comes — or no plan for volume that does |
| Price review | When prices are reviewed, what triggers an early review, how long each call-off quote stays valid | A mid-year price dispute with no agreed mechanism |
| Quality and change control | Inspection rights, acceptance criteria, no key component change without written approval | A silent component substitution found by your customers |
| Delivery terms | The shipping term for every order, named, plus who handles freight and clearance | Costs landing on the side that assumed the other was paying |
| Exit and transition | Notice period, the fate of branded stock and open orders, spare parts after the term | A warehouse of branded chargers with no support behind them |
Forecast, Commitment and Price Review
The forecast clause is where most annual agreements succeed or fail. A workable pattern: a rolling forecast updated on an agreed cycle, the nearest part firm, the rest indicative.
The commitment — the minimum volume over the term — is what the supplier’s pricing rests on, so state what happens if the buyer falls short: a price adjustment, a shorter renewal or a make-up order — and write down which.
On price, an agreement rarely freezes a unit price for a year of component markets. What it fixes is the mechanism: review points, early-review triggers, each call-off quote’s validity.
Our guide to payment terms for OEM EV charger orders covers the payment side under the same framework.
Quality, Change Control and Delivery
Change control deserves its own paragraph, not a line in an email. State that key components — parts affecting safety, certification or performance — change only with written approval, and that a changed unit follows the same sample and inspection route as the original. Our factory audit checklist shows the evidence to ask for before signing.
Delivery terms must name the shipping term per order, not assume one.
Our comparison of FOB vs DDP for importing EV chargers explains what each side carries.
Exit, Warranty and After-Sales
Write the ending while relations are good: the notice period, the fate of open orders and branded stock, and whether packaging and artwork files are returned or destroyed. Warranty and after-sales belong in the agreement too: our distributor’s checklist of warranty and after-sales terms lists what to pin down, including spare parts after the agreement ends.
Supply Agreements With EVDANCE
EVDANCE, a Shenzhen charger manufacturer founded in 2011, exports to more than 30 countries, offers private label from 100 units and backs its chargers with a 3-year standard warranty.
Importers and brands can start from our distributor program or the OEM and private-label program, and start through our contact page. Have the agreement reviewed by your own legal adviser before signing — this article is a buyer’s checklist, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an annual agreement replace individual orders?
No — it sits above them. Each shipment still gets its own order stating model, quantity, price and delivery window, referencing the agreement.
Does an annual agreement lock the price for a full year?
Usually it locks the review mechanism rather than one price: when reviews happen, what triggers one, how long each quote holds. A frozen year-long price is possible but is a negotiated term, not the default.
What if our forecast turns out to be wrong?
That is what the commitment clause is for. A well-drafted agreement states the consequence in advance — adjusted pricing, a make-up order, a shorter renewal — so a missed forecast is administration, not a dispute.
Related Reading
- Payment Terms for OEM EV Charger Orders: T/T, L/C and Deposits
- FOB vs DDP: How to Import EV Chargers From China Without Surprises
- EV Charger Warranty and After-Sales Terms: A Distributor’s Checklist
- EV Charger Factory Audit Checklist for Importers
