A draft sometimes referred to as a bill of exchange is the instrument normally used in international commerce to effect payment. A draft is simply an order written by an exporter instructing an importer, or an importer's agent, to pay a specified amount of money at a specified time. In the example of the U.S. exporter and the French importer, the exporter writes a draft that instructs the Bank of Paris, the french importer's agent to pay for the merchandise shipped to France. The person or business initiating the draft is known as the marker. The party to whom the draft is presented is known as the drawee.