Dear Mr. Tekle Sebhatu, I appreciate your article on "Import Agents" and their Importance in International trade and how an export company should handle them. I would though like your personal comments on the following 2 issues as per your article from an Import Agent's point of view: a. If an Import Agent has done business with 2-3 companies before as per the need of references he is required to show, it would automatically mean he is in a "relationship" with many exporters in the same product. What is his incentive to forge a new relationship with this new exporter who is wanting him to market his products in that country if he is already getting a good commission, service etc. b. What is the idea behind letting the agent "perform first" to justify his employability with the Exporter especially in cases where it is a universally known fact the major amount of cost, effort and resources are used in the first initial orders only. Looking forward to your futuristic advice. Best Regards, parikshit

Replying to [James]:Very applied

Replying to [James]:
helpful,thanks

Replying to [Capacity India]: This is true to a point. Many import agents or buyers agents are always seeking out new buyers and sellers. Many small companies do not have the resources to check out every single supplier on the world trade market. It then becomes the role of the buying agent to suggest products that fall in line with the buyers product line.

As both a buyer's and a seller's agent myself its much easier to sell than buy. If you have what people want they will come to you or you can post a selling lead. However in buying and posting a buy lead you get swarmed with leads, and thats a good thing. But then you need to rule out all the scams all the fake websites, with their fake shippers.

What I believe is needed on this site or any other trade site is more than a 3rd party check, but one in which any company or selling agent must provide the real name of the company, where its located, a verifiable land line(no cell phone's), a verifiable website, verifiable business licensce from their country, and a verifiable finacial statement. This truely would be a trust p *.

Right now everyone is leary of the trade leads. Trust Pass members are blowing off small orders. If your not going to honor the deal don't do the deal.

There are scams being run in and from every country in the world. While Nigeria, and Malaysia might be getting slammed in this forum the most. It doesnt make me proud that the last 5 so called companies I have checked out have been fraudsters from the US claiming to have offices in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Australia. With each claiming they used their own freight forwarders that also had fake web sites. Gold Suppliers should be companies that are rated by the buyers after the deal is complete. With a rating system would come more trust between buyer and seller and get rid of these scammers that in some cases take the name of good suppliers and trash it.

Ranger

Replying to [James]:It maybe out of topics. Do you use inspection when dealing L/C?

**INVALUABLE*** THANK YOU!
It would alos be very helpful to include a pay range one could expect to put out for these services. If agents and brokers want more business, they could contribute to this effort.