Resident buying agents.

Most organizations conducting international trade do not use their own employees to either buy or sell goods in various countries. The differences between business practices, language, and cultural problems usually make employee arrangements difficult at best. Instead of using employees, organizations may turn to intermediaries in each country to secure goods needed by the organization in its home country (or other country of production). Intermediaries who purchase goods for a foreign company (to be shipped to that foreign company) are referred to as resident buying agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]