Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

The historical framework -- The geography of commodity production and trade -- Comparative advantage and the trade policy distortions -- Price formation and price trends in primary commodities -- The commodity exchanges, commodity investments and speculation -- The economics of exhaustible resource depletion -- Fears of and measures to assure supply security -- Producer cartels in international commodity markets -- Public ownership in primary commodity production -- The monoeconomies : issues raised by heavy dependence on commodity production and exports.

The world is going through an exceptional commodity boom triggered by a global demand shock largely caused by the sudden emergence of China and India as sizeable raw material importers. Prices of numerous commodities tripled between 2003 and 2006, resulting in huge windfalls for producers and a financial squeeze on consumers. A Handbook of Primary Commodities in the Global Economy is a guide to the ins and outs of this increasingly crucial part of the world economy. Assuming nothing more from readers than a basic understanding of economics, Marian Radetzki introduces and explains pertinent issues surrounding international commodity markets such as the global geography of raw materials, price formation, price trends, the role of commodity exchanges, the threat of depletion, cartel action, state ownership and the commodity nationalism.