The commodity market is the nexus for pricing, listing, selling, and trading primary goods, also known as commodities. Commodities can be minerals, agricultural products, crops, forms of energy, ores, and cattle. These goods’ prices significantly impact the worldwide economy and show an aggregate change in different core economic sectors.
Historically, up until the 1970s in the United States, the price of gold has been a determining factor in the economic well-being of a country.
Other products like wheat, cotton, and corn have been tracked by farmers and speculators alike to judge fiscal success for the upcoming harvest season.
Agricultural speculators and other investors use future contracts to invest in a commodity asset ahead of time.
Investors can also choose to invest directly in corporations that deal with commodities.
The largest commodities exchange is the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This independent agency does not directly litigate corporations but instead enforces and regulates business practices.
Commodities lawyers typically work for public and private corporations in the energy and rare earth mineral sectors to provide legal expertise in all commodities-related business practices.
Commodities lawyers know all the business practices of the company they work for and are well versed in global law, antitrust law, agricultural law, litigation, mergers, and arbitration.
While a lot of time has gone by since commodities markets were first formed out of spot markets, where people directly sold and transferred goods at a marketplace, commodities markets are still highly speculative for investors and require a broad understanding of global supply chain networks.
