When performance becomes difficult, the first instinct is to look for the clause that excuses it. Occasionally there is one. More often the clause is narrower than remembered, and the outcome is decided commercially rather than legally.
Read what the contract actually says
Force majeure is not a general principle that applies whenever circumstances change; it is whatever the contract defines it to be. The specific wording governs — which events are listed, whether the provision requires impossibility or merely hardship, what notice must be given and within what period.
The notice requirement catches people out. A party who had a valid ground and failed to give notice in the required form and time may lose it.
Consider also whether the contract has a change-in-law provision, a price adjustment mechanism, or a termination right on notice. One of those is frequently a cleaner route than an argument about force majeure.
Know your position before you open the conversation
Work out what happens if you simply cannot perform: the exposure, whether liability is capped, whether a bond or guarantee can be called. That is your true fallback, and it determines how much flexibility you actually need from the other side.
Going in without that assessment means negotiating without knowing what you can accept.
Ask for something specific
“We need to discuss the contract” invites anxiety and delay. A defined proposal — a three-month deferral of these deliveries, at this revised schedule, with this compensation — is something the other party can decide on.
Counterparties under the same pressure often prefer a known variation to an unknown dispute, particularly with a supplier they want to keep.
Document the variation
Agreements reached by phone during a difficult period have a way of being remembered differently once conditions improve. Put the variation in writing, signed, stating clearly what changed, for how long, and what happens at the end of it.