Warranty, Spare Parts and After-Sales Terms for Imported Textile Machinery

Two layers: the law's conformity rules and the seller's guarantee

In a cross-border sale, "warranty" usually has two layers. The first is the legal duty to deliver goods that conform to the contract. Where the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) applies (UNCITRAL's status page lists China as a party), Article 35 requires goods to match the agreed quantity, quality and description and, unless agreed otherwise, to be fit for their ordinary purpose and for any particular purpose the buyer made known to the seller. Article 36 makes the seller liable for non-conformity that existed when risk passed, even if it shows up later. So put your intended use in writing, as in preparing a weaving enquiry.

The second layer is the contractual guarantee: the seller's own promise that the machine will keep working for a stated period, which Article 36(2) also recognises.

Under Article 38 the buyer must inspect promptly, though with carriage this may wait until arrival. Under Article 39, a buyer who does not notify a defect within a reasonable time loses the right to rely on it, with an outer limit of two years from handover unless that conflicts with a contractual guarantee period. Article 6 lets parties exclude or vary the Convention, so check whether your contract does.

Incoterms decide risk; the warranty is a separate clause

Your Incoterms rule (FOB, CIF, DAP and so on) sets where risk of loss passes and who arranges transport, insurance and customs. The US International Trade Administration notes that Incoterms do not address liability for non-conforming goods, title, payment or disputes. Goods shipped FOB are at your risk once loaded, but whether a cracked gearbox casing is a warranty claim is decided by the sales contract.

When the warranty clock starts

This term is often left vague. Common triggers:

• Bill of lading date. Simple for the seller, but transit, customs and site preparation eat coverage before the machine runs.
• Arrival at destination port. Better, but still ignores installation time.
• Completion of installation. Ties coverage to a physical event, but "complete" needs a definition.
• Signed acceptance after a trial run. Gives the buyer the most coverage. Tie it to a defined factory or site acceptance test, ideally run with your own yarn or fabric, and spell out the conditions: yarn count, fabric construction, speed, shift length, and what happens if the seller's engineer cannot attend.

Many contracts pair a trigger with a long-stop ("from acceptance, but no later than a fixed period after shipment"); agree both periods explicitly.

Coverage and exclusions: questions to ask

Exclusion wording differs by supplier, and there is no standard list to assume. Instead of accepting "standard warranty", have the supplier answer these in the contract:

• Which parts are classed as wear parts and excluded? Ask for the list by part number. On knitting machines, needles and sinkers are obvious candidates to ask about; on spinning frames, drafting components; on looms, reeds and healds.
• Are consumables (lubricants, filters) excluded, and which grades are required? Using a different grade may be raised later as a reason to refuse a claim.
• Who warrants bought-in electronics? Ask which PLC, inverter, servo and HMI brands are fitted, and whether the seller warrants them itself or passes through only the component maker's terms. Fitted components belong in your configuration comparison; two quotes for one model name can differ here.
• What conditions of use must you meet? Ask for written site requirements: supply voltage and tolerance (see installed power and electrical supply), compressed air, temperature and humidity. Then you can show you met them.

Also agree the remedy (repair, replacement part shipped, or engineer visit), who pays freight on replacement parts, and whether the defective part must be returned first.

Commissioning and engineer visits

For larger lines, especially in dyeing and finishing, installation is a project in itself. The listing for the B-type opening and squeezing series, for example, gives a 38 kW arrangement with a 6 m overall height and advises planning around site services, which is exactly what has to be ready before an engineer flies in. The International Chamber of Commerce publishes a separate model contract for commissioning and after-sales services, a reminder that this work deserves its own terms. Settle in writing:

• how many engineer-days are included, and the day rate beyond that;
• who pays international airfare, local transport, accommodation, meals and visa costs;
• who provides an interpreter, if needed;
• what happens if your site, utilities or materials are not ready when the engineer arrives;
• whether warranty-period visits for a genuine defect are free of travel cost.

Spare parts: lists, lead times and continuity

Spare parts and wear parts are different. Wear parts are consumed in normal running. Spare parts are kept on hand for failures that would stop production, such as a main motor, an encoder or a control board.

Ask for a recommended spare parts list before signing, with part numbers matching the manual, quantities scaled to your machine count, unit prices and a validity date. Decide which items ship with the machine.

Exact identification matters because many parts come in families. The listing for air-jet loom profile reeds describes loom-specific variants and advises selecting against an agreed drawing, and the WH hollow covering spindle family contains several individually labelled variants. Suppliers of parts and accessories need the part number and drawing, not just a name.

Write lead times into the contract, separately for stock and made-to-order parts. Ask how long parts will stay available for the model, and whether drawings for non-proprietary parts will be supplied so a local workshop can make them. Some listings show the gap: the aluminium covering bobbins entry has no complete dimensional drawing, and the K88 selvedge middle-head assembly entry gives no complete mounting specification.

Remote support, software and controller access

The public page for the SXACT-GT2003-II pattern operating unit does not publish a complete interface or software specification. The DT-1501 embroidery machine is offered with different needle, controller and attachment packages, so the controller you get depends on what is written into the order. Before signing, clarify:

• the remote-support channel, hours and response language;
• whether you receive a parameter and program backup at handover;
• which access levels (passwords) the buyer receives, and which stay with the supplier;
• the licensing terms for any software, and whether updates are included;
• a written statement on whether the controller contains any time-based or payment-linked lock.

Contract document checklist

Before paying the deposit, check how the supplier shows its service capability (see reading a factory profile) and that the contract or annexes include:

1. Technical specification and the performance basis for acceptance
2. Warranty clause: start trigger, long-stop, coverage, exclusions, remedies
3. Wear parts list and recommended spare parts list with prices
4. Spare parts lead times and availability commitment
5. Commissioning terms: engineer-days, cost split, site readiness
6. Site requirements: power, air, floor, climate
7. Manuals, electrical diagrams and parts catalogue in an agreed language
8. Software, password and backup handover terms
9. Incoterms rule and named place
10. Governing law and dispute resolution, including whether the CISG applies

Sources

1. United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (text, Articles 6, 35, 36, 38, 39). UNCITRAL / United Nations. (accessed 2026-11-04) View source
2. United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (Vienna, 1980): Status. UNCITRAL. (accessed 2026-11-04) View source
3. Incoterms rules. International Chamber of Commerce. (accessed 2026-11-04) View source
4. Know Your Incoterms. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. (accessed 2026-11-04) View source
5. ICC Model Contract Commissioning and After-sales Services (2025 edition, product description). International Chamber of Commerce. (accessed 2026-11-04) View source