Meaning & use
an importer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A person or company that brings goods or services into a country from abroad.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an importer' for one, 'importers' for more than one. Often followed by 'of' to show what is imported.
Patterns
- an importer of something
- a major importer
- car importer
The company is a major importer of electronic goods.
As an importer, she must deal with customs regulations.
Local importers are worried about new taxes on foreign products.
Word forms
| plural | importers |
|---|
Common combinations
- major importer
- China is a major importer of soybeans.
- net importer
- The country is a net importer of oil.
- importer of record
- The importer of record is responsible for paying duties.
- car importer
- He works for a car importer in the city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trader
- A trader buys and sells goods, often within a country or internationally; an importer specifically brings goods into a country.
- distributor
- A distributor supplies goods to shops, but may not necessarily import them from abroad.
Opposites
Word family
- import verb
- To bring goods or services into a country from abroad.
- import noun
- A good or service brought into a country from abroad.
- importation noun
- The act of importing goods.
Commonly confused: an importer or exporter?
an importer vs exporter
An exporter sends goods out of a country; an importer brings goods in. They are opposites.
Practice
A company that brings coffee beans into the UK from Brazil is called a(n) _____.
Choose one answer.
An importer brings goods into a country. An exporter sends goods out. A transporter moves goods, but does not necessarily buy or sell them. A retailer sells directly to consumers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an importer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.