Trading

Until recently trading was just about the only way to make money. Although there are now other options, trading cargo widgets is still the most profitable means of acquiring your own personal fortune. The basics of trading is a simple concept. You buy cargo at a low price and sell it someplace else for a higher price. Easier said than done. Discovering a good route can be a long process, but the rewards are well worth it. One simple way is to load your ship up with as many single cargo widgets as you can fit. Ships like the Centaur can hold up to 48 different types of cargo allowing you to carry many types of cargo. Don't give up if you don't find a good route right away.

So You Have A Route

Now that you have a route its time to exploit it and get as much money as you can from it. If you already have a decent amount of money (100,000cr at least) do NOT sell your cargo. Instead hit "Unload All" to leave all your cargo in the station without selling it. This is called stockpiling and is the best way to get the most from your route. If possible, try to find a profitable widget from station B to bring back to station A to gain more money. After amassing a large amount of cargo in the stations, sell them. Or, if you have money to spare, let it sit and wait for the price to rise. Be warned, other people can and most likely will find your route and sell before you do, so only wait if you are willing to go without the income for a bit.

Tips

• Mining and trading can go along very well together. For instance if you mine a rare type of ore and stockpile it in a close by station, you can transport it to another station a few systems away to make an even bigger profit. Few if anybody does this, and the result is that stations nearby the rare ore often does not sell very well.
• The news can often help you find a good route. By giving you a list of what that particular station needs you can plan ahead, keep a mental list or one on paper is better, and keep an eye out for the cargo a station needs.
• Someone has made a handy dandy site that lets you match up two stations and shows you their differences in trade goods. You can find it right around here.

Ships To Carry Your Cargo In

Ship	Wraith	Atlas	Centaur	Marauder	Behemoth
Cargo	22	32	48	48	120
Turbo	180	180	200	200	180
Weapons	2S 1L	1S 1L	1S 2L	3S	2L
Level	Trade 1	Trade 2	1/-/3/4/-	Trade 8	-/-/-/8/4

(s)= Small Port (l)= Large Port

Ships listed are the basic versions. See the ships list for full information.

• The Wraith is the perfect entry level trading ship. Enough weapons ports to keep you safe from Hive ships, and enough cargo room to get you through the basic trade missions.
• The Atlas is a decent trading ship, but once you have a Centaur you can pretty much ignore this one. It is fast and has plenty of cargo room. But often is easy prey for pirates.
• The Centaur slow and hard to move this ship has often been ignored by traders with access to the Marauder, but it does its job very well, and that job is to move large amounts of cargo in one go. The Centaur has the ability to carry two sets of mines, enough to send any pirate to their grave.
• The Marauder is the fastest cargo transport ship in the game. Its TPG variant can carry up to 48 cargo widgets, and the Tunguska 60. Although all but the Tunguska version lack L port weapons it can still fend for its self or simply speed by any pirate blockade.
• The Behemoth is yet another win for the TPG corporation. When you need to move large amounts of cargo(120cu), the Behemoth is your ship.

List of Trade Goods

This is a (hopefully complete) list of the various trade goods that can be found within the game. There is another table which sorts the trade goods by the "type of good", which contains pictures for all of the trade goods.

Trade Good	Description	Class of Goods
Advanced Logistics System	Controllers for ship systems	Ship Component
Advanced Targeting Systems	Advanced weapon targeting computers	Weapon Component
Aeolus Pilot Training Unit	Training for pilots	Creature Comfort
Agricultural Research Supplies	Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research
Airlock Maintenance Supplies	For general up keep of the station
Amplification Module	Component of many electronics
Apicene Ore	A rare asteroid composition formed only at very high temperatures	Ore
Aquean Ore	Dirty ice, mostly H2O with trace chemicals	Ore
Basic Research Supplies	Assorted assay bottles, spot well plates and pipettes
Basic Robotic Equipment	Simple robots
Basic Targeting Systems	Simple and efficient weapon targeting systems	Weapon Component
Bearing Grease	Keeps machinery working smoothly
Betheshee Spices	Extremely aromatic spices and herbs preferred by most Serco
BioCom Implants	Components for cybernetic implants
Biomedical Nanites	Used in common medical treatments
Biotechnology Research Supplies	Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research
Carbonic Ore	Ore which is heavy in carbon compounds	Ore
Chemical Spill Kit	Used to clean of chemical spills
Civilian Textiles	Clothing for every-day wear	Creature Comfort
Combat Simulators	Training for pilots
Commercial Textiles	Industrial grade fabric for use in various applications
Consumer Electronics	Electronic audio/visual/neural entertainment products	Creature Comfort
Consumer Robotics	Personal robotic assistant devices	Creature Comfort
Cooking Supplies	Collection of pots, pans and other cooking utensils
Coolant	Used in cooling systems
Cooling Systems	Weapon cooling systems	Weapon Component
Corrosive Chemicals	Industrial chemicals with corrosive properties	Industrial Goods
Corvus Holo Disks	Used in cooling systems
Corvus Textiles	Take exotic vacations
Cybernetics Grade AA	Premium Grade Materials for implants
Cybernetics Grade BB	Common grade cybernetics
Cybernetics Grade EE	Industrial grade cybernetics for implants
Data Link Connectors	Component of many electronics
Dau Spices	A mixture of herbs often used to season food standard rations.
Dau Wine	A fine wine from the UIT
Deneb Rum	An inexpensive intoxicant sold at most station bars
Denic Ore	Rare ore found often in young solar systems	Ore
Dyes	Common dyes and pigments	Production Goods
EC-Class Ships Repair Manual	Instructions for repair of ships for pilots on a small budget
Emergency Repair Kit	Standard kit with parts for basic ship repairs
Energy Conversation Module	Components of various ship systems
Engine Mounts	Holds engines in place
ERS Tracking Systems	Standard missile tracking computer	Weapon Component
Escape Hatch System	For escaping
Exhaust Manifold	Directs engine exhaust
External Equipment Mounts	For holding equipment
External Thermal Couplers	Controllers for ship systems
Extravehicular Suits	Protective suits for work done outside of a station
Ferric Ore	Ore composed mostly of iron	Ore
Fine China	Rare antique plates
Fine Furniture	Crafted from the finest synthwoods
Fire-suppression system	Fire protection systems for ships and stations
Fitness Equipment	Required for military training
Flight Assist Control Module	Found in most ships
Food	Mass-produced nutritional food	Creature Comfort
Frequency Modulators	Component of many electronics
Fresh Flowers	Fresh flowers cultivated in stations with specialized gardens
Fuel Flow Regulator	Component of ship turbo systems
Fuel Storage Container	Component of ship turbo systems
Guided Missle Casings	Empty tubes for weapons
Gyroscopes	Used in weapon and ship construction
Heliocene Ore	Rare ore formed under intense heat and tidal forces	Ore
Holo Disks	Visit popular vacation destinations without ever having to leave the station
Hull Panels	Basic paneling used in the construction of ships
Hydraulic Tappets	Components of various ship systems
Hydrogen Ion Collector	Used in weapon and ship construction
Industrial research Supplies	Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research
Inert Chemicals	Industrial chemicals with no dangerous properties.	Industrial Goods
Ineubis Automated Defense Unit	For personal safety
Ineubis Personal Defense Systems	Regarded as the best in the universe
Instrumentation Panel	Commonly found in most ships
Ion Core	Primary component of most ion weapons	Weapon Component
Ishik Ore	A common asteroid composition containing lighter elements and chemical compounds	Ore
Itani Education Disk Level M	Standard educational program used by most Itani children
Itani Education Disk Level N	Standard educational program used by most Itani children
Itani Education Disk Level O	Standard educational program used by most Itani children
Janitorial Supplies	Specialized tools for station maintenance
Lanthanic Ore	Ore containing heavy and radioactive metals	Ore
Life Support System	Commonly found in most ships
Luxury Goods	Jewelry, artwork, rare spices, etc.	Creature Comfort
Magnetometer	Component of various mining beams
Manufacturing Tools	Common tools used in heavy manufacturing	Production Goods
Medical Supplies	First-aid supplies	Creature Comfort
Meditation Crystals	Used by the Itani as part of meditation rituals
Mentana Sweets	A secret recipe prized throughout the universe
MicroTech Replicator	Conostructs many prefab products using nanotechnology	Production Goods
Military Research Supplies	Assorted chemicals and other consumables for research
Mineral Assay Equipment	Needed for basic research
Nanite Modulators	Used in nanite manufacturing
Nanite Replicator	Controls the replication of nanites for microtech replicator
NanoFeed	Mostly carbon, a powder used for nanite replication	Production Goods
NanoPigments	Dyes and pigments which can be instructed to change their color	Production Goods
Navigation Unit	Controllers for ship systems
Neural Nodule	Component of many cybernetics
Optics	Frequently used in weapon manufacturing
Organic Solvents	Super-corrosive organically-produced solvents	Industrial Goods
Orion Drill Bits	Component of various mining beams
Orion Extractor Component	Component of various mining beams
Outer Hull Plate	Used in the production of most ships
Oxygen Recycling System	Compact air purifier and oxygen recycling system	Ship Component
Pelatus Spices	Sweet spices often used in desserts
Pentric Ore	A rare asteroid composition of complex chemical material	Ore
Personal Defense Systems	Small arms and other personal defense devices	Creature Comforts
Pharmaceuticals	Used in common medical treatments
Phase Array	Modulates the phase of energy weapon projectiles	Weapon Component
Phernoa Spices	A spicy mixture of dried peppers amd herbs
Pilot Safety Harness	For the safety of the pilot
Plasma Core	Primary component of most plasma weapons	Weapon Component
Plasteel	Light plastic compound with the strength of steel	Industrial Goods
Power Regulators	Power flow regulators, used in most energy weapons	Weapon Component
Precious Metals	Extracted in small quantities from other ores	Ore
Pressure Relief Valves	Primary component of oxygen generation systems
Propellant Actuators	Component of turbo systems
Protective Outerwear	Specialized clothing for work with hazardous materials
Purified Water	Purified water, safe for drinking	Creature Comfort
Pyronic Ore	Rare ore found in the residue of a star’s collapse	Ore
Quantitative Analysis Equipment	Needed for basic research
Radiation Containment Kit	Used to to safely store radioactive materials
Rare Books	Now considered obsolete, these printed materials are sought by collectors
Recycled Plastic	Pellets of recycled plastic ready to be reprocessed
Refugee Support Kit	Basic supplies for war refugees
Replacement Hydraulic Fluid	Replacement hydraulic fluid
Scanner Circuit Boards	Component of many electronics
Serco Ale	A strong alcoholic brew preferred by the Serco Military	Creature Comfort
Serco Cybernetic Implants	Assorted Cybernetic Arms and Legs
Sedina Chocolates	A secret recipe prized throughout the universe
Ship Paint	Covers up those unsightly scratches
Silicate Ore	Unrefined silicate material	Ore
Silksteel	Incredibly strong steel alloy	Industrial Goods
Simple Plastics	Common manufacturing materials	Production Goods
Solid Explosives	Component of missles
Solid Fuel Packs	Component of missles
Stabilizing Systems	Weapon stabilizers, increase precision by reducing recoil	Weapon Component
Station Conduit	Basic conduit for wires, pipes and other materials
Steel	A durable but heavy building material	Production Goods
SynthWood	Synthetic wood, common construction material	Production Goods
Superconductors	Component of many electronics
Surveillance Equipment	Station security equipment
Synthetic Gems	Used to in jewelry and art
Synthetic Hydrocarbons	Common building blocks for many industrial applications	Production Goods
Textured Vegetable Protein	While extremely stable and ideal for long spaceflights, is has no flavor.
Thermal Imagers	Component of various mineral scanners
Thermal Insulator Tiles	Provides protection for the outer layer of many ships
Thrust Regulators	Component of ship turbo systems
TPG Pilot Training Module	Developed for TPG pilots
Tunguska Mining Module	Component of various mining beams
Turbo Charger	Component of ship turbo systems
Unassembled Cargo Crates	Empty cargo crates
Valent Robotic Components	Frequently used in weapon manufacturing
VanAzek Ore	A common asteroid composition containing heavy and radioactive metals	Ore
Versai Koffee	A modern interpretation of the coffee of Sol I.
Versai Speciality Foods	So good you'll lick your fingers.
Vismetal	As strong as steel, but clear as glass	Production Goods
Vismetal Cockpit	Clear yet durable and able to withstand the pressures of space
Volatile Chemicals	Industrial chemicals with volatile properties	Industrial Goods
Waste Treatment Chemicals	Used to process common station wastes
Xang Xi Advanced Robotics	Equipment used in cargo loading and unloading
Xang Xi Waste Container	Standard holding container for station wastes
XiRite Alloy	Extremely durable alloy made primarily from iron and xithricite	Production Goods
Xithricite Ore	Ore containing the precious mineral Xithricite	Ore