Legal Definitions - importer

An importer is an individual, company, or other organization that brings goods, products, or merchandise into one country from another foreign country. This process typically involves navigating customs procedures and paying any required taxes or fees (known as customs duties or tariffs) levied on those items by the receiving country.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A Small Business Sourcing Unique Products

  Imagine a small online boutique in the United States that specializes in unique, handcrafted jewelry. The owner regularly purchases these items directly from artisans in Thailand to sell to customers in the U.S. In this scenario, the boutique owner is the importer because they are bringing goods (jewelry) into the United States from a foreign country (Thailand) and are responsible for ensuring customs compliance and paying any applicable import duties.

• Example 2: A Large Corporation Importing Raw Materials

  Consider a major electronics company based in South Korea that manufactures smartphones. To produce these devices, the company frequently sources specialized microchips from a supplier located in Taiwan. The South Korean electronics company acts as the importer. They are bringing essential components (microchips) from a foreign country (Taiwan) into South Korea, and they must manage the customs clearance process and pay any tariffs associated with these raw materials.

• Example 3: An Individual Purchasing from an International Seller

  Suppose an individual in Australia orders a limited-edition collectible action figure directly from a seller in Japan through an international online marketplace. When the package arrives in Australia, the individual will likely be notified to pay import taxes or duties before receiving the item. Here, the Australian individual is the importer, as they are bringing a good (the action figure) into Australia from a foreign country (Japan) and are responsible for the associated import fees.