importer
UK: ɪmˈpɔːtə | US: ɪmˈpɔːrtər
n. a person, company, or country that brings goods or services into a country from abroad for sale
n. (computing) a program or function that transfers data from one system or format to another
The word "importer" traces back to Latin importare ("to bring in"), combining in- (into) and portare (to carry). It entered Middle English via Old French importer, retaining the core idea of "bringing goods inward." The suffix -er later standardized its meaning as "one who imports," aligning with other agent nouns like "exporter" or "producer."
The company is a major importer of electronics from Asia.
As an importer of luxury cars, he deals with strict customs regulations.
The software includes a data importer for CSV files.
She works for an importer specializing in organic coffee beans.
The country’s economy relies heavily on its role as a raw material importer.