Commodities Exchange

[Morbius]

Antara is an empire built on trade and commerce. While I may get lots of flak for wanting to, I'd like to establish a commodities exchange of some sort - the British Empire had one, can't remember its name - for diamonds, precious stones, fabrics, spices and some building materials. It would be a "Wall Street" of sorts for such things, and be a hub for fueling world growth and development.

The place could be a home to international intrigue between powers and their colonies to access / develop various areas, search for resources, or just to discuss politics and make plans. It could be a place where some politics or economics are discussed outside the normal perview of regular political channels, that the various nations involved would use to keep a variety fo things quiet or behind the scenes.

Is anyone interested? If so, I'd like some help building it. I can't think of anything else Antara would have contributed to world civilization, so this is the best I can do.

[Pepijn]

Interested. But Vittmark would be on the back benches of course, given its age.

[Brian von Gotha]

I tossed around the idea of dictating a 'center of trade' but then it seemed to me this might be too constrictive and there would probably wind up being several within a market in an era such as this.... so rather than assign this I would imagine that national level trade centers would eventually dictate their own international & intra-market importance due to that nation's outside market access and the goods it can import/exchange.

[Morbius]

I withdraw the suggestion, then. Thanks

[Brian von Gotha]

well story-wise it would work well. your primary trading port for such a large country with colonial imports WOULD be important it might just be too early to say HOW important. i just meant that i decided against designating something since i didn't have any conclusive information. trade may have to develop a bit to see some of the primary candidates for anything beyond national trade centers

[Pepijn]

A developing nation like Vittmark would be very interested to gain access to large markets (like Antara). Protectionism and colonialism were a married couple during the similar age on Earth, and I would be happy to explore the possibilities of developing a different kind of international trade, where colonialism still plays an important or even pivotal role.

[Morbius]

Part of Antara's appeal, at least so far as I'd reasoned, would be that it was a stable nation with a strong military force that also had areas that were open mercantile areas where international trade was welcome. Major cities like Port Imperial, Gaaze and even Cedelphia itself could be home to various sites that would be the center of various commodity trades. Or, one prime location in one city would be where the commodities groups would be.

I can't remember the name of the places in Britain but I knew there were some that helped gauge various commodity prices, set trades, etc.

It was just an idea, really, but something that would appeal to the commercial bent that has helped Antara thrive.

[Imperium]

I think Brian is right, it makes more sense for each power to have its own trade houses.

I'm not sure I am sold on having it in Antara. Does Antara get a cut? Is this where real goods are actually stored and exchanged or is this a forum for trade negotiations? If nations are going to get together to arrange trade I doubt they would do it under the protection of the benevolent Antaran Empire. What is to stop our Antaran benefactors from seizing foriegn goods or imposing port taxes? Seems like a vulnerable little city-state would be a better mediator - especially if actual goods are traded there.

Still I like the general idea. I want a similar organization provide a record of trade agreements in the wiki. (I suspect that the recent Facebook question about this inspired Thomas' suggestion.) Even in Gotha's current setting, with colonial monopolies and mercantile policies, some trade would still be required and trade negotiations were likely necessary in Anaria before colonies became an attractive way to acquire resources.

[Dr.Tesla]

Helreich would rely completely on its own , self-ran markets and probably would remain that way as long as it is a Häverist nation. Let me explain.

Helreich is based on an energy accounting system where energy (the amount of energy being produced, consumed in products and in work) is the medium of exchange. Helreich doesn't utilize money as we are used to thinking of. Something that you use as a medium of exchange because you believe it has value. This would make trade with other nations very interesting...and I have been thinking a long time over this. A nation needs credit (in today's world, and historically speaking too) in order to get loans from other nations because they need a record. Helreich would probably hold a separate 'trading' system to interact with other nations trade wise, but overall it would be 'separated' from the actual economy of Helreich where money doesn't exist at all.

Trade with Helreich is possible, but due to its unique qualities, trading with Helreich means trading with the 'foreign-commerce' part of the Distribution Apparatus (The name for the economic mechanism in Helreich). Such deals have been struck with nations such as Aedeland.

To sum it up, I like the idea, but Helreich is unable to join such a market, it may interact with such commodity exchange, but never be part of it. Money is a waste of human and natural energies to the Helreichers!

[Imperium]

Mercantile governments like Aedeland would have little difficulty trading with the Häverist. Aedelant would prefer to trade primary resources in exchange for other primary resources. It avoids purchasing refined goods or using money for purchases. As the Häverist place value on labor (energy) and the product the labor produced, Aedeland would find Helreich to be a favored trade partner - especially is the Häverist are willing to import refined goods in exchange for primary resources.