The next step in the development of the ie would come with the opening of Japan to foreign trade in the 1850s-60s. Many ie reorganized and came to be known as sōgō shōsha (総合商社), trading companies which focused on exchanging domestic goods for foreign goods, which they would then resell in Japan's major cities.
The development of the ie was a significant shift during Japan's opening to international trade in the 1850s-60s. These companies reorganized and became known as sōgō shōsha (総合商社), specializing in exchanging domestic goods for foreign ones, which they then resold in major Japanese cities.