1. Applicability.
(a) This purchase order is an offer by TWE Nonwovens US, Inc. (the “Buyer”) for the purchase of the goods specified on the face of this purchase order (the “Goods”) from the party to whom the purchase order is addressed (the “Seller”) in accordance with and subject to these terms and conditions (the “Terms”; together with the terms and conditions on the face of the purchase order, the “Order”). This Order, together with any documents incorporated herein by reference, constitutes the sole and entire agreement of the parties with respect to the Order, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings, agreements, negotiations, representations and warranties, and communications, both written and oral, with respect to the subject matter of the Order. The Order expressly limits Seller’s acceptance to the terms of the Order. These Terms prevail over any terms or conditions contained in any other documentation and expressly exclude any of Seller’s general terms and conditions of sale or any other document issued by Seller in connection with this Order including, without limitation, any Seller quote or order acknowledgment.
(b) These Terms apply to any repaired or replacement Goods provided bySeller hereunder.
(c) Buyer is not obligated to any minimum purchase or future purchase obligations under this Order.
2. Acceptance. This Order is not binding on Buyer until Seller accepts the Order in writing or starts to perform in accordance with the Order. If Seller does not accept the Order in writing or provide written notice that it has commenced performance within five (5) days of Seller’s receipt of the Order, this Order will lapse. Buyer may withdraw the Order at any time before it is accepted by Seller.
3. Delivery Date. Seller shall deliver the Goods (i) in the quantities and on the date(s) specified in this Order, (ii) in the instance of transactions governed by one or more blanket Orders, on the date and in the quantities specified by a blanket order release or (iii) as otherwise agreed in writing by the parties (the “Delivery Date”). Timely delivery of the Goods is of the essence. If Seller fails to deliver the Goods in full on the Delivery Date, Buyer may terminate the Order immediately by providing written notice to Seller and Seller shall indemnify Buyer against any losses, claims, damages, and reasonable costs and expenses directly attributable to Seller’s failure to deliver the Goods on the Delivery Date. Buyer has the right to return any Goods delivered prior to the Delivery Date at Seller’s expense and Seller shall redeliver such Goods on the Delivery Date.
4. Quantity. If Seller delivers more than 110% or less than 90% of the quantity of Goods ordered, Buyer may reject all or any excess Goods. Any such rejected Goods shall be returned to Seller at Seller’s risk and expense. If Buyer does not reject the Goods and instead accepts the delivery of Goods at the increased or reduced quantity, the Price for the Goods shall be adjusted on a pro-rata basis.
5. Delivery Location. All Goods shall be delivered to the address specified in this Order (the “Delivery Location”) during Buyer’s normal business hours or as otherwise instructed by Buyer.
6. Shipping Terms. Delivery shall be made DDP the Delivery Location (Incoterms 2020). Seller shall give written notice of shipment to Buyer when the Goods are delivered to a carrier for transportation. Seller shall provide Buyer all shipping documents, including the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and any other documents necessary to release the Goods to Buyer within three (3) business days after Seller delivers the Goods to the transportation carrier. The Order number must appear on all shipping documents, shipping labels, bills of lading, invoices, correspondence and any other documents pertaining to the Order.
7. Title and Risk of Loss. Title passes to Buyer upon delivery of the Goods to the Delivery Location. Seller bears all risk of loss or damage to the Goods until delivery of the Goods to the Delivery Location.
8. Packaging. All goods shall be packed for shipment according to Buyer’s instructions or, if here are no instructions, in a manner sufficient to ensure that the Goods are delivered in undamaged condition. Seller must provide Buyer prior written notice if it requires Buyer to return any packaging material. Any return of such packaging material shall be made at Seller’s expense.
9. Amendment and Modification. No change to this Order is binding upon Buyer unless it is in writing, specifically states that it amends this Order and is signed by an authorized representative of Buyer.
10. Inspection and Rejection of Nonconforming Goods. The Buyer has the right to inspect the Goods on or after the Delivery Date. Buyer, at its sole option, may inspect all or a sample of the Goods, and may reject all or any portion of the Goods if it determines the Goods are nonconforming or defective. If Buyer rejects any portion of the Goods, Buyer has the right, effective upon written notice to Seller, to: (a) rescind the Order in its entirety; (b) accept the Goods at a reasonably reduced price; or (c) reject the Goods and require replacement of the rejected Goods. If Buyer requires replacement of the Goods, Seller shall, at its expense, promptly (and in any event within ten (10) days) replace the nonconforming Goods and pay for all related expenses, including, but not limited to, transportation charges for the return of the defective goods and the delivery of replacement Goods. If Seller fails to timely deliver replacement Goods, Buyer may replace them with goods from a third party and charge Seller the cost thereof and terminate this Order for cause pursuant to Section 21. In a case of imminent danger to any customer of Buyer or the end user of any products manufactured by Buyer incorporating the Goods, Buyer shall be entitled to remedy the defects at Buyer’s discretion and at Seller’s sole cost. Any inspection or other action by Buyer under this Section shall not reduce or otherwise affect Seller’s obligations under the Order, and Buyer shall have the right to conduct further inspections after Seller has carried out its remedial actions.
11. Price. The price of the Goods is the price stated in the Order (the “Price”). If no price is included in the Order, the Price shall be the price set out in Seller’s published price list in force as of the date of the Order. Unless otherwise specified in the Order, the Price includes all packaging, transportation costs to the Delivery Location, insurance, customs duties and fees and applicable taxes, including, but not limited to, all sales, use or excise taxes. No increase in the Price is effective, whether due to increased material, labor or transportation costs or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Buyer.
12. Most Favored Customer. Seller represents and warrants that the price for the Goods is the lowest price charged by Seller to any of its external buyers for similar volumes of similar Goods. If Seller charges any other buyer a lower price, Seller must apply that price to all Goods under this Order. If Seller fails to meet the lower price, Buyer, at its option, may terminate this Order without liability pursuant to Section 21.
13. Payment Terms. Seller shall issue an invoice to Buyer on or any time after the completion of delivery and only in accordance with the Terms. Buyer shall pay all properly invoiced amounts due to Seller within 90 days after Buyer’s receipt of such invoice, except for any amounts disputed by Buyer in good faith. All payments hereunder must be in US dollars and will be made by ACH transfer or such other means as mutually agreed by the parties. In the event of a payment dispute, Buyer shall deliver a written statement to Seller listing all disputed items and providing a reasonably detailed description of each disputed item. Amounts not so disputed are deemed accepted and must be paid, notwithstanding disputes on other items, within the period set forth in this Section 13. The parties shall seek to resolve all such disputes expeditiously and in good faith. Seller shall continue performing its obligations under the Order notwithstanding any such dispute.
14. Setoff. Without prejudice to any other right or remedy it may have, Buyer reserves the right to set off at any time any amount owing to it by Seller against any amount payable by Buyer to Seller.
15. Warranties. Seller warrants to Buyer that all Goods will: (a) be free from any defects in workmanship, material and design; (b) conform to applicable specifications, drawings, designs, samples and other requirements specified by Buyer including, without limitation, any requirements in Buyer’s Quality Assurance Agreement (“QAA”) provided to Seller; (c) be fit for their intended purpose and operate as intended; (d) be merchantable; (e) be free and clear of all liens, security interests or other encumbrances; and (f) not infringe or misappropriate any third party’s patent or other intellectual property rights. These warranties survive any delivery, inspection, acceptance or payment of or for the Goods by Buyer. These warranties are cumulative and in addition to any other warranty provided by law or equity. Any applicable statute of limitations runs from the date of Buyer’s discovery of the noncompliance of the Goods with the foregoing warranties. If Buyer gives Seller notice of noncompliance with this Section, Seller shall, at its own cost and expense, promptly (and in any event within ten (0) days) replace or repair the defective or nonconforming Goods and pay for all related expenses, including, but not limited to, transportation charges for the return of the defective or nonconforming goods to Seller and the delivery of repaired or replacement Goods to Buyer.
16. Corrective Measures and Product Recall. If Buyer, any customer of Buyer, Seller or any governmental agency having jurisdiction identifies a defective product that incorporates any Goods purchased from Seller, whether based on information received through customer complaints, warranty returns, insurance claims or payments, product liability claims or lawsuits, reports of production problems or product testing, Seller will, at its expense: (a) cooperate with Buyer and any of Buyer’s customers to implement a corrective action plan that complies with applicable law and is acceptable to Buyer and/or Buyer’s customer; and (b) if requested by Buyer or Buyer’s customer, notify any required governmental agency or authority in compliance with applicable law and submit all required reports in compliance with applicable law. If there is or should be a recall or corrective action plan, Buyer will have the right, but not the obligation, to undertake and be responsible for such obligations and expenses and any such reports or corrective action plan, if Buyer determines, at its sole option, that such actions are required by applicable law or otherwise warranted. Both parties will cooperate in any reports or corrective action plan under this Section.
17. General Indemnification. Seller shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless Buyer and Buyer’s parent company, their subsidiaries, affiliates, successors or assigns and their respective directors, officers, shareholders and employees and Buyer’s customers (collectively, “Indemnitees”) against any and all loss, injury, death, damage, liability, claim, deficiency, action, judgment, interest, award, penalty, fine, cost or expense, including reasonable attorney and professional fees and costs, and the cost of enforcing any right to indemnification hereunder and the cost of pursuing any insurance providers (collectively, “Losses”) arising out of or occurring in connection with (i) the products purchased from Seller, (ii) Seller’s negligence, willful misconduct, (iii) Seller’s breach of the Terms and (iv) any product recall in accordance with Section 16 (including, without limitation, all costs and expenses in connection with any report or corrective action). Seller shall not enter into any settlement without Buyer’s or Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
18. Intellectual Property Indemnification. Seller shall, at its expense, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Buyer and any Indemnitee against any and all Losses arising out of or in connection with any claim that Buyer’s or Indemnitee’s use or possession of the Goods infringes or misappropriates the patent, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual property right of any third party. In no event shall Seller enter into any settlement without Buyer’s or Indemnitee’s prior written consent.
19. Insurance. During the term of the Order and for a period of three (3) years thereafter, Seller shall, at its own expense, maintain and carry insurance in full force and effect which includes, but is not limited to, commercial general liability (including product liability) in a sum no less than $10,000,000 for each single occurrence of bodily injury and $5,000,000 for each single occurrence of damage to property, with financially sound and reputable insurers. Upon Buyer’s request, Seller shall provide Buyer with a certificate of insurance from Seller’s insurer evidencing the insurance coverage specified in this Order. The certificate of insurance shall name Buyer as an additional insured. Seller shall provide Buyer with thirty (30) days’ advance written notice in the event of a cancellation or material change in Seller’s insurance policy. Except where prohibited by law, Seller shall require its insurer to waive all rights of subrogation against Buyer’s insurers and Buyer or the Indemnitees.
20. Compliance with Law. Seller is in compliance with and shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. Seller has and shall maintain in effect all the licenses, permissions, authorizations, consents and permits that it needs to carry out its obligations under the Order. Seller shall comply with all export and import laws of all countries involved in the sale of Goods under this Order. Seller assumes all responsibility for shipments of Goods requiring any government import clearance. Buyer may terminate this Order if any government authority imposes antidumping duties, countervailing duties or any retaliatory duties on the Goods.
21. Termination. Except for Goods that are noncancellable and nonreturnable, Buyer may terminate this Order, in whole or in part, at any time with or without cause for undelivered Goods on ten (10) days’ prior written notice to Seller. In addition to any remedies that may be provided under these Terms, Buyer may terminate this Order with immediate effect upon written notice to the Seller, either before or after the acceptance of the Goods, if Seller has not performed or complied with any of these Terms, in whole or in part. If the Seller becomes insolvent, files a petition for bankruptcy or commences or has commenced against it proceedings relating to bankruptcy, receivership, reorganization or assignment for the benefit of creditors, then the Buyer may terminate this Order upon written notice to Seller. If Buyer terminates the Order for any reason, Seller’s sole and exclusive remedy is payment for the Goods received and accepted by Buyer prior to the termination.
22. Limitation of Liability. Nothing in this Order shall exclude or limit (a) Seller’s liability under Sections 15, 16, 18, 18 and 24 hereof, or (b) Seller’s liability for fraud, property damage, personal injury or death caused by its negligence or willful misconduct. Buyer’s liability to Seller on any claim of any kind for any loss or damage arising out of, in connection with or resulting from the Order or from the performance or breach hereof shall in no case exceed the price allocable to the Goods (or such portion or units thereof) which give rise to such claim. In no event shall Buyer be liable to Seller for anticipated profits or for any special, incidental or consequential damages whatsoever, nor for penalties or punitive damages of any description. Any action resulting from any breach or failure to perform by Buyer hereunder must be commenced within one year after the cause of action has accrued.
23. Waiver. No waiver by any party of any of the provisions of the Order shall be effective unless explicitly set forth in writing and signed by the party so waiving. Except as otherwise set forth in the Order, no failure to exercise, or delay in exercising, any rights, remedy, power or privilege arising from the Order shall operate or be construed as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege.
24. Confidential Information. All non-public, confidential or proprietary information of Buyer or Seller, including, but not limited to, specifications, samples, patterns, designs, plans, drawings, documents, data, business operations, customer lists, pricing, discounts or rebates, disclosed by a party (the “Disclosing Party”) to the other party (the “Recipient”), whether disclosed orally or disclosed or accessed in written, electronic or other form or media, and whether or not marked, designated or otherwise identified as “confidential,” in connection with the Order is confidential, solely for the use of performing the Order and may not be disclosed or copied unless authorized by the Disclosing Party in writing. Upon the Disclosing Party’s request, the Recipient shall promptly return all documents and other materials received from the Disclosing Party. The Disclosing Party shall be entitled to injunctive relief for any violation of this Section. This Section shall not apply to information that is: (a) in the public domain; (b) known to the Recipient at the time of disclosure; (c) rightfully obtained by the Recipient on a non-confidential basis from a third party; or (d) developed by the Recipient without reference to or use of the confidential information of the Disclosing Party.
25. Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable to the other for any delay or failure in performing its obligations under the Order to the extent that such delay or failure is caused by an event or circumstance that is beyond the reasonable control of that party, without such party’s fault or negligence, and which by its nature could not have been foreseen by such party or, if it could have been foreseen, was unavoidable (“Force Majeure Event”). Force Majeure Events include, but are not limited to, acts of God or the public enemy, government restrictions, floods, fire, earthquakes, explosion, epidemic, pandemic, war, invasion, hostilities, terrorist acts, riots, strike, embargoes or industrial disturbances. Seller’s economic hardship or changes in market conditions are not considered Force Majeure Events. The party subject to a Force Majeure Event shall give written notice to the other party promptly (and in any event within five (5) days) after becoming aware of the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event, which notice shall affirmatively declare a Force Majeure Event has occurred and describe such Force Majeure Event in in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Buyer. Seller shall use all diligent efforts to end the failure or delay of its performance, ensure that the effects of any Force Majeure Event are minimized and resume performance under the Order. If a Force Majeure Event prevents Seller from carrying out its obligations under the Order, Buyer may terminate this Order immediately by giving written notice to Seller.
26. Assignment. Seller shall not assign, transfer, delegate or subcontract any of its rights or obligations under the Order without the prior written consent of Buyer. Any purported assignment or delegation in violation of this Section shall be null and void. No assignment or delegation shall relieve the Seller of any of its obligations hereunder. Buyer may at any time assign, transfer or subcontract any or all of its rights or obligations under the Order without Seller’s prior written consent.
27. Relationship of the Parties. The relationship between the parties is that of independent contractors. Nothing contained in the Order shall be construed as creating any agency, partnership, joint venture or other form of joint enterprise, employment or fiduciary relationship between the parties, and neither party shall have authority to contract for or bind the other party in any manner whatsoever. No relationship of exclusivity shall be construed from this Order.
28. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Order is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other person or entity any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of these Terms.
29. Governing Law. This Order and any other agreement entered into in connection with this Order or the sale of the Goods shall be deemed entered into in the State of North Carolina. All matters arising out of or relating to this Order shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of North Carolina without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of North Carolina or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the State of North Carolina. The United Nations Convention on the Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) shall not apply to the Order.
30. Arbitration. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Order, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”) in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules (the “AAA Rules”). The place of arbitration shall be Greensboro, North Carolina, United States of America, unless the parties agree otherwise. The arbitral panel shall determine the rights and obligations of the parties in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of North Carolina. Except as agreed by the parties, the arbitral panel shall have no power to alter or modify any terms or provisions of this Order, or to render any award that, by its terms or effects, would alter or modify any term or provision of this Order. The arbitral panel shall be composed of three arbitrators, one to be selected by the claimant party to the dispute (or, if there is more than one claimant to the dispute, by the claimant parties, unanimously); one to be selected by the respondent party (or, if there is more than one respondent to the dispute, by the respondent parties, unanimously); and one to be jointly appointed by the two party-appointed arbitrators. If, within 15 business days, the two previously-selected arbitrators cannot agree on the selection of the third arbitrator, then the third arbitrator shall be selected by the AAA pursuant to the AAA Rules. Once the arbitral panel has been composed, the arbitrators shall act as neutrals and not as party arbitrators, and no party shall engage in any ex parte communication with any member of the arbitral panel. The parties shall be entitled to engage in reasonable limited discovery. The arbitrators shall not have the power to award any punitive damages nor attorneys’ fees to either party. Each party shall bear its own attorney fees, expenses, and costs and each party shall pay an equal portion of the fees and expenses of the arbitrators. Any award of monetary damages shall be in writing and state the reasons upon which it is based. The award shall be final and binding on the parties. Judgment on the award may be entered by any court with competent jurisdiction. The Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., shall govern any arbitration conducted pursuant to this Section.
31. Cumulative Remedies. The rights and remedies under this Order are cumulative and are in addition to and not in substitution for any other rights and remedies available at law or in equity or otherwise.
32. Notices. All notices, request, consents, claims, demands, waivers and other communications hereunder (each, a “Notice”) shall be in writing and addressed to the parties at the addresses set forth on the face of this Order or to such other address that may be designated by the receiving party in writing. All Notices shall be delivered by personal delivery, nationally recognized overnight courier (with all fees pre-paid), facsimile or electronic mail (with confirmation of transmission or receipt) or certified or registered mail (in each case, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). Except as otherwise provided in this Order, a Notice is effective only (a) upon receipt of the receiving party, and (b) if the party giving the Notice has complied with the requirements of this Section.
33. Severability. If any term or provision of this Order is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction.
34. Survival. Provisions of this Order which by their nature should apply beyond their terms will remain in force after any termination or expiration of this Order including, but not limited to, the following provisions: Setoff, Warranties, Corrective Measures and Product Recall, General Indemnification, Intellectual Property, Indemnification, Insurance, Compliance with Laws, Confidentiality, Governing Law, Arbitration and Survival.