I. ex ‧ port 1 W2 AC /ˈekspɔːt $ -ɔːrt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ export ≠ ↑ import , ↑ exporter ≠ ↑ importer , ↑ exportation ≠ ↑ importation ; verb : ↑ export ≠ ↑ import ]
1 . [uncountable] the business of selling and sending goods to other countries OPP import
export of
a ban on the export of toxic waste
for export
bales of cloth for export to the continent
2 . [countable usually plural] a product that is sold to another country OPP import :
Wheat is one of the country’s main exports.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ export + NOUN
▪ an export market
The US is Scotland’s second largest export market after France.
▪ export trade
Most of its export trade is with Russia.
▪ export earnings/revenue (=the money a company or country makes from exports)
Oil and gas provide 40% of Norway’s export earnings.
▪ export sales/figures (=the total number of products that are sold to other countries)
Export sales exceeded 50% of the company’s total turnover.
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Hong Kong is a major trading power, with annual export figures rivalling those of Germany.
▪ an export licence (=an official document giving you permission to sell something to another country)
You will have to submit an application for an export licence.
▪ export controls/restrictions/quotas (=official limits on the number of exports)
The European Parliament wants tougher export controls on certain goods.
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The number of goods subject to import and export quotas is being reduced.
▪ an export ban ( also a ban on exports )
During the crisis, France imposed an export ban on British beef.
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The ban on exports was lifted in June.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + export
▪ the major/main/principal export
Agricultural products are the country’s principal exports.
▪ oil/agricultural/manufacturing exports
Oil exports from Iraq have resumed.
▪ British/US etc exports
Higher tariffs will affect a wide range of British exports.
▪ invisible exports (=services that are exported, such as banking or insurance, rather than a product)
The City of London is important to the invisible exports of this country.
■ verbs
▪ boost exports (=increase them)
The measures should boost exports and create employment.
▪ encourage exports (=make them more likely to exist)
Kenya used subsidies to encourage exports.
▪ reduce exports
OPEC has threatened to reduce exports of oil to the West.
▪ restrict exports (=limit or control them)
The government threatened to restrict exports because of weak demand.
▪ ban exports (=stop them completely)
In retaliation, Britain banned exports of cloth to France.
▪ exports increase/rise/grow
Electronics exports grew more slowly than in previous years.
▪ exports fall/decline/drop
Exports of gas and oil continued to fall while imports of raw materials have risen.
▪ exports account for something (=form a particular part of a total)
Exports currently account for 37% of sales.
■ phrases
▪ a growth/rise/increase in exports
The electronics sector has seen a 16% growth in exports.
▪ a fall/decline/drop in exports
There has been a decline in exports and an increase in oil prices.
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THESAURUS
▪ product noun [countable] something that is made or produced in large quantities, usually in order to be sold:
consumer products such as mobile phones
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dairy products
▪ goods noun [plural] things that are produced in order to be sold, especially for use in the home:
They sell furniture and other household goods.
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electrical goods
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white goods (=large electrical goods used in the home such as washing machines and refrigerators)
▪ commodity noun [countable] formal a type of product or raw material that can be bought and sold – used especially about basic food products, metals, and fuels:
The decline in prices for agricultural commodities made the economic situation worse.
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All metal was a valuable commodity and was rarely wasted.
▪ merchandise noun [uncountable] formal things that are being sold, especially in shops:
Customers are not allowed to handle the merchandise.
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Sales of books, videos, and other merchandise have increased.
▪ wares noun [plural] written things that are offered for sale, especially in a market or on the street:
In the market, the traders began selling their wares.
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Merchants brought their wares from all over the world.
▪ export noun [countable often plural] a product that is sent to a foreign country in order to be sold:
US exports rose to $11.935 billion.
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At the moment, oil is their biggest export.
▪ import noun [countable often plural] goods that are brought from one country into another to be sold there:
The UK clothing industry cannot compete with foreign imports on price.
II. ex ‧ port 2 AC /ɪkˈspɔːt $ -ɔːrt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ export ≠ ↑ import , ↑ exporter ≠ ↑ importer , ↑ exportation ≠ ↑ importation ; verb : ↑ export ≠ ↑ import ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: exportare , from portare 'to carry' ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to sell goods to another country OPP import
export something (from somebody) to somebody
The company exports tuna to the US.
2 . [transitive] to introduce an activity, idea etc to another place or country:
Italian food has been exported all over the world.
3 . [transitive] technical to move computer information from one computer to another, from one computer document to another, or from one piece of software to another OPP import
—exportation /ˌekspɔːˈteɪʃ ə n $ -ɔːr-/ noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
▪ sell to give something to someone in exchange for money:
He sold his motorcycle.
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The shop sells old furniture.
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Do you sell books on gardening?
▪ export to send goods to another country to be sold:
Which countries export oil to the United States?
▪ deal in something to buy and sell a particular type of goods as part of your business:
He deals in antiques.
▪ put something up for sale/put something on the market to make something available to be bought:
When the painting was first put up for sale, no one thought that it would be worth so much money.
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The farm was put up for sale.
▪ sell up British English to sell your house or your business so that you can move to a different place or do something different:
They’re thinking of selling up and moving to Canada.
▪ auction something/sell something at auction to sell things at a special event to the person who offers the most money:
The contents of his home will be auctioned.
▪ flog British English informal to sell something, especially something that is of low quality:
A man at the market was flogging £10 watches.
▪ peddle to sell cheap things in the street. Also used about selling illegal drugs and ↑ pornography :
Street vendors peddled American and British cigarettes.
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People who peddle drugs to children should be severely punished.
▪ traffic in something to buy and sell large quantities of illegal goods or people:
They trafficked in illegal weapons.
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The gang were involved in people-trafficking.
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drug-trafficking