English Reference

Word

importer

Phoneticsim·porter

US/ˌɪmˈpɔɹtɝ/

UK/ɪmpˈɔːtɐ/

Definition

n. a person or company that brings goods into a country from another country to sell them. You use this when talking about global trade or buying products from abroad.

n. a person or commercial entity that brings goods or services into a country from abroad for sale. Often used in economic contexts to describe the receiving party in international trade.

Examples

“The local wine importer brings in several brands from Italy.”

“As a major importer of crude oil, the nation is highly sensitive to fluctuations in global energy prices.”

“The government recently introduced new tariffs that significantly increase the operating costs for every small-scale importer specializing in artisanal electronics from East Asia.”

Examples

simple

“The local wine importer brings in several brands from Italy.”

contextual

“As a major importer of crude oil, the nation is highly sensitive to fluctuations in global energy prices.”

complex

“The government recently introduced new tariffs that significantly increase the operating costs for every small-scale importer specializing in artisanal electronics from East Asia.”

Usage

Often paired with 'of' to specify the goods being brought in.

Real-World Examples

“A tariff is a tax on imported goods paid by the importer, effectively raising the cost of those goods.”
The Conversation · 27 Aug 2026
“China has for decades been the main importer of Iranian oil.”
The Guardian · 24 Aug 2026

Etymology

From import + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/importer

English Reference