What are some of the entities that an exporter should be familiar with?

Describe and explain the role played by each of these entities, separating those that have responsibilities from exporters from those that have no responsibilities from the exporters.

Key export entities include purchasing agents, export brokers, and export merchants. They have no responsibility from the client. Others are export management companies, manufacturer's export representatives, export distributors, and freight forwarders. They are assigned responsibilities by the exporter. Foreign purchasing agents operate on behalf of, and are compensated by, an overseas customer known as a "principal." They generally seek out the manufacturer whose price and quality match the specifications of their principal. They often represent governments, utilities, railroads, and other large users of materials. Purchases may be completed as domestic transactions with the purchasing agent handling all export packing and shipping details, or the agent may rely on the manufacturers to handle the shipping arrangements. The export broker receives a fee for bringing together the seller and the overseas buyer. This fee is usually paid by the seller. The broker takes no title to the goods and assumes no financial responsibility. A broker usually specializes in a specific commodity, such as grain or cotton, and is less frequently involved in the export of manufactured goods. Export merchants are sometimes referred to as "jobbers" and they identify market opportunities in one country or region and make purchases in other countries to fill these needs. They typically buy unbranded products directly from the producer or manufacturer. The export merchant then brands the goods and performs all other marketing activities, including distribution. "Export management company" is the term used to designate an independent marketing intermediary that acts as the export department for two or more manufacturers whose product lines do not compete with each other. It may act as an independent distributor, purchasing and reselling goods at an established price or profit margin. It may also act as a commission representative taking no title or financial risk. Manufacturer's export agent acts as an export distributor or as an export commission representative. On the other hand, an export distributor assumes financial risk, whereas the export commission representative assumes no financial risk. The cooperative exporter is an export organization of a manufacturing company retained by other independent manufacturers to sell their products to foreign markets. Freight forwarders are licensed specialists in traffic operations, customs clearance, and shipping tariffs and schedules. A licensed forwarder receives brokerage fees or rebates from shipping companies for booked space.