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importer

B1
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪmpˈɔːtə/

US

  • /ˌɪmˈpɔrtər/

Description

An importer is a person or company that buys goods from other countries and brings them into their own country, often to sell them there. Think of it like this: if you see a beautiful hand-woven rug from Morocco in a local shop, the business in Morocco that sends it out is the exporter, while the local business that buys it and brings it in to sell to you is the *importer*.

Importers play an important role in world trade, bringing in everything from coffee beans and electronics to clothing and cars. They deal with shipping, customs, and paperwork so that people can buy products from all over the world. Many importers focus on certain kinds of goods, such as fine wines or tropical fruits. Without them, the things we can buy each day would be much more limited.

Examples

  1. 1

    Furniture trade

    She works for a furniture importer in Los Angeles.

  2. 2

    Food trade

    The company became the main importer of olive oil from Spain.

  3. 3

    Customs responsibility

    At the border, the importer of record had to pay the customs charges.

    • Domain

      importer of record

      the person or company officially responsible for the goods at customs

Forms and spellings

2 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • importernoun

Forms

  • importerspluralnoun