General Guidance
Orders may be placed with foreign suppliers by using your ProCard within allowable limits, or through Workday using Purchase Orders, and may be paid using Supplier Invoice Request within the Direct Buy Limit.
Plan Before You Buy:
- Payment in advance is prohibited by RCW 43.88.160
- Purchases and payments can be made to foreign business entities by ProCard, within ProCard limits
- If a PO is required, foreign/international suppliers, like U.S. suppliers, must be registered with UW
- Foreign suppliers are paid in U.S. Dollars (USD) only - see additional details below
- If ordering goods, find out if U.S. Customs clearance will be required
- For more information on doing business with foreign individuals, please review the UW Global Operations Support page regarding Foreign National Payments and Tax
IMPORTANT: Foreign Financial Sanctions
When placing any order with a foreign supplier, regardless of payment method, you must verify the company does not have sanctions placed on it by the U.S. Government. Check the U.S. Treasury website for a list of sanctions programs and country information and pay special attention to the following sections:
- OFAC Sanctions List
- Search OFAC's Sanctions List
- Sanctions Programs and Country Information - see the Complete List of Sanctions Programs and Country Information
Payment Types to Registered Foreign Suppliers
Registered suppliers anticipating a purchase order are paid by U.S. Dollars (USD) with minimal exceptions and have the following options; this information is also available to our supplier community on the For Suppliers webpage.
- Check in U.S. Dollars (USD): Unless otherwise specified, payment will be made by check in USD
- Wire Transfer: Payment by wire transfer should be negotiated at the time the order or contract is established, and is not honored unless those prior arrangements were made; wire transfers are available to foreign banks, in USD, when banking information was provided during registration with a Bank Verification Letter; no wires are made to U.S. beneficiary banks
- Paymode-X ACH: Payment by ACH through UW's banking partner, Paymode-X, may be available for foreign suppliers with U.S. bank accounts
Customs Clearance for Purchases from Foreign Suppliers
The University of Washington has contracted with Expeditors International of Washington for customs brokerage service. They can be used for customs clearance needs for purchases made with or without a UW purchase order. Detailed information is available on the Customs Clearance webpage.
- The shipper should include your name and phone number on the shipping label
- Give information to your foreign supplier about our customs broker for the UW to assist with the importation of goods. Be aware that import charges may accrue for foreign purchases. Shippers such as UPS and FedEx are also customs brokers and will usually clear their shipments through U.S. Customs. If a broker is required for the shipper, UW has a contract with Expeditors International of Washington for import/export services. U.S. Customs and the Port of Seattle are aware of this and will generally notify Expeditors if something comes in for the UW and requires Customs Clearance