The Ιnternational Union of Commercial Agents and Brokers (IUCAB) was founded on September 21, 1953.
The aim of IUCAB is to uphold the freedom and sound development of international trade; to protect and promote the common interests of the commercial agents and brokers of all countries and to strengthen the position of commercial agents and brokers as independent businessmen.
The membership of IUCAB consists of 20 national associations of independent commercial agents (manufacturers' representatives) and brokers throughout the European Union and the United States of America. Through IUCAB, the interests of approximately 470,000 individual commercial agency firms employing an estimated number of 1.2 million commercial agents are represented. These commercial agency firms generate a business turnover of approximately 2.4 billion dollars / 2.1 billion euros, throughout Europe and North America.
Commercial agency firms are independent professional providers of field sales and marketing services to manufacturers or suppliers. They typically handle a portfolio of related but non-competitive product lines, working under a contractual arrangement within a defined geographic territory on an exclusive basis. In fact commercial agency firms are the manufacturers' sales personnel in the territory paid on a commission basis and as such they are the most cost-effective manner in reaching the market channel.
Commercial agency is therefore an already long time existing solution for manufacturers and suppliers to market their products in countries all over the world keeping overhead low and standardising sales costs.
Today's reaction to the constant pressure for greater profits and faster build-up of shareholder equity is that more and more companies are recognising outsourcing field sales through commercial agents as the most effective and economical way of marketing their products. Commercial agency firms offer a professional, adaptable and competent sales force. Increasing numbers of companies large & small have come to realise the qualities of commercial agents, not only as a sales force, but also as professionals with valuable skills and experience.
IUCAB Member key figures