In Vietnam, we sign a contract because we already trust each other.
In the U.S., people sign a contract because they don't yet.
I think about this often when a Vietnamese business is about to shake hands with a U.S. partner.
For many of us, the contract is the last step. What matters is that we've met, shared a meal, understood each other. Asking too many questions, or redlining too much, can feel like an insult.
For many Americans, the contract is the relationship. They negotiate line by line not because they distrust you, but because that's how they respect a deal. And in a dispute, a U.S. court reads what's on the page, not what both sides "understood."
Neither way is wrong. But when the two meet, the side that reads the contract closely is usually the side that's protected.
What saddens me most is seeing honest businesses that keep their word lose out because they trusted instead of asking.
Questioning a clause before signing won't offend a U.S. partner. It shows them you're serious.
What do you think: is questioning every clause rude, or professional?
#VietnamBusiness #CrossBorderLaw #Contracts #DoanhNghiepViet