Understanding the People Involved in a U.S. Import Transaction

A single shipment into the U.S. usually involves five or six distinct roles. Vietnamese exporters new to the market often assume one party — usually the freight forwarder — handles everything. They don't, and expecting them to causes real delays.

The roles, briefly

• Supplier / Exporter — you. The party producing and shipping the goods.
• Importer of Record — the legal entity responsible for the goods entering the U.S. and for customs compliance. This can be you (if you have a U.S. entity), your buyer, or a third party.
• Customs Broker — a licensed professional who files customs entries on behalf of the importer.
• Freight Forwarder — arranges transportation of the goods from origin to destination.
• Distributor — buys product to resell into the market, typically at wholesale.
• Regulatory Specialist — where applicable (e.g., food, cosmetics), advises on FDA or other agency requirements separate from customs.

These roles can overlap — some customs brokers also handle freight, some distributors also act as importer of record — but they're never automatically bundled. Before a shipment moves, it's worth confirming explicitly who is playing which role, and who fills any gap. That's usually where we come in: mapping the transaction and making sure each role is actually covered by someone qualified to fill it.