What exactly is an airgun "IMPORTER"?

[Airgun Al]

What does the "Importer" do, that the manufacturer and/or a dealer can not do?

Generally speaking, a maufacturer makes a product, sells the product to a variety of dealers, who sell the product to the consumer.

3 vital componets of the entire process, from manufacturing to end consumer.

But with airguns (and P.B.'s as well,) there is a middleman called the "IMPORTER".

What exactly is the purpose of this middle man or importer?

Wouldnt the manufacturer reduce overall cost, by selling their product directly to their dealers, and eliminating this middle man?

Help me understand the purpose of the importer!

 

[GenXer]

What does the "Importer" do, that the manufacturer and/or a dealer can not do?

Generally speaking, a maufacturer makes a product, sells the product to a variety of dealers, who sell the product to the consumer.

3 vital componets of the entire process, from manufacturing to end consumer.

But with airguns (and P.B.'s as well,) there is a middleman called the "IMPORTER".

What exactly is the purpose of this middle man or importer?

Wouldnt the manufacturer reduce overall cost, by selling their product directly to their dealers, and eliminating this middle man?

Help me understand the purpose of the importer!

Buys in bulk to avoid import tax on every gun.

Some overseas manufacturers like to sell to just a few clients instead of dealing with many distributors which causes many transactions which causes many fees for them. Instead these "middle men" buy in bulk and distribute to dealers who then sell individually to consumers. The cost of importing is thusly passed on to the consumer a little bit within each end user transaction.

If it were up to us to buy just one gun from each manufacturer they would be too expensive and no one would be able to afford to sell or buy guns internationally.The importers have made deals and connections with everyone from manufacturers to shipping companies to port authorities to conventional law enforcement in order to make it possible to reduce their cost per item imported.

A lot like drugs.

 

[OldSpook]

A lot like drugs.

ummm perhaps except for the issue of illegality and the willingness of the "importer" to kill anyone who gets in his way.

 

[GenXer]

ummm perhaps except for the issue of illegality and the willingness of the "importer" to kill anyone who gets in his way.

The question includes powder burners.

Do you think people don't get killed over shipments of guns?

 

[boscoebrea]

the importer =distribution center.Because it is easier to send products to one place.
Importer =can bring the product in say the states, he may have to have an import license.

It is much easier for a manufacturer to have one place to ship to,if the manufacturer is a large company they may have a couple of importers and if the company or manufacturer is really large they will have their distribution center located in the states.
So think about the costs for the manufacturer if they had to spend the money to ship their products to each dealer.
That said some do, because they may have low production numbers.
Now look at what happened to FX and their importer.
Also, think about the responsibility.
End the end = importers have been around for thousands of years, and the history of manufacture and imports is one of the most important parts of our human history

 

[OldSpook]

The question includes powder burners.

Do you think people don't get killed over shipments of guns?

Sure if the guns are being smuggled.

 

[GenXer]

Sure if the guns are being smuggled.

Eh. Ok

 

[Spartan]

It can also have a lot to do with both the legalities of importing guns from foreign countries and the taxes/duties/tariffs associated with it. Importers serve as a clearing house to handle all of that and minimize cost to get the items in the country. There's also benefits to certain portions of these sales being handled as business to business instead of foreign business to consumer or even foreign business to small retailer. That too gets involved with varying taxes, tariffs, laws, etc. It's all very complex and I don't pretend to know the details. Specialty lawyers get paid the big bucks to navigate all of that. But I do know these things are factors for why there are "importers" for certain items like guns, alcohol, tobacco, certain equipment, some foods and produce, etc.

 

[Motorhead]

Similar to an outfit we had on the west coast years past ( tho still may be around ? ) called "Air Gun Exporter"
They dealt with all the laws, forms, fees & handling etc ... of safely & securing shipment & handling of air guns to other parts of the world .... Being products "Here" going abroad to "there" working out the finer details in making sure it gets to where addressed with the proper credentials attached etc ...