Table:
|  |  | Fiscal |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Europe/Middle East/Africa (“EMEA”) | 36 % | 38 % | 36 % |
| Asia–Pacific | 33 | 34 | 35 |
| Americas | 31 | 28 | 29 |
| Total | 100 % | 100 % | 100 % |
Paragraphs:
Sales and Distribution
We maintain a strong local presence in each of the geographic regions in which we operate. Our net sales by geographic region(1) as a percentage of our total net sales were as follows:
(1) Net sales to external customers are attributed to individual countries based on the legal entity that records the sale.
We sell our products into approximately 150 countries primarily through direct selling efforts to manufacturers. In fiscal 2019, our direct sales represented approximately 80% of total net sales. We also sell our products indirectly via third-party distributors.
We maintain distribution centers around the world. Products are generally delivered to the distribution centers by our manufacturing facilities and then subsequently delivered to the customer. In some instances, however, products are delivered directly from our manufacturing facility to the customer. Our global coverage positions us near our customers’ locations and allows us to assist them in consolidating their supply base and lowering their production costs. We contract with a wide range of transport providers to deliver our products globally via road, rail, sea, and air. We believe our balanced sales distribution lowers our exposure to any particular geography and improves our financial profile.
Question:
What are the net sales by geographic region to external customers attributed to?
Answer: individual countries based on the legal entity that records the sale