Tradable Commodities: What They are, How They Work (2024)

Tradable commodities are essential goods used in commerce, often interchangeable with other goods of the same type, and used to produce other goods.

Key Takeaways

  • Tradable commodities are goods used in commerce and are interchangeable with other goods of the same type.
  • The inputs in the creation of finished goods and services are tradable commodities.
  • Tradable commodities are classified as energy, metals, livestock, and agriculture.
  • Trading commodities is accomplished using futures contracts.

What Are Tradable Commodities?

Tradable commodities are usually categorized into four groups: energy, metals, livestock, and agriculture. Economists see little differentiation between a tradable commodity from one producer and the same commodity from another source.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates futures trading and other derivatives trading, such as options and swaps.

The trading of commodities is usually executed through futures contracts on exchanges that standardize the quantity and minimum quality of the products traded. Regulatory bodies may allow for the trade of 5,000 bushels of wheat, but laws regulate how the bushels can be sold and delivered and the minimum quality standards required for the grain.

What Affects Commodity Prices?

The futures element of trading commodities can add risk to the transaction since factors that cannot be controlled, like the weather, may affect production. Economic and societal pressures also affect commodity pricing. Food and energy prices reached record highs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the war in Ukraine, both causing supply disruptions. Experts commonly recommend diversifying a portfolio of tradable commodities with other assets due to outside factors which affect pricing.

In 2023, oil, gas, gold, and silver topped the list of the most traded commodities.

Tradable vs. Non-tradable Commodities

Many products are not considered tradable commodities, either because of the nature of the product or the demand for the product within its home country. If tomatoes are in high demand in China, and domestic production cannot keep up with the demand, they are imported in high quantities. Because of this high rate of importation, economists cannot use futures trading and pricing techniques used with tradable commodities.

What Types of Commodities Are Traded?

Common tradable commodities include crude oil, wheat, soybeans, gold, silver, livestock, coffee, sugar, cotton, corn, frozen orange juice, and natural gas. Derivative products of some commodities are also traded, such as soybean oil and soybean meal.

How Do Investors Buy Commodities?

Investors can purchase the commodity outright or invest in the stocks of companies that deal in commodities, such as oil and gas companies, or buy the futures contracts of the commodities, though speculative and must be sold before delivery. One of the easiest ways to buy commodities is to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that follow commodity indexes.

What Is the Most Traded Commodity?

The most traded commodity is crude oil. Crude oil is used in many products, from petrochemicals to petroleum to lubricants to diesel.

The Bottom Line

Tradable commodities are used to produce other goods and are classified as energy, metals, livestock, and agriculture. Tradable commodities are traded via futures and a sector of financial markets. Futures help determine the price of these commodities and are used as hedging tools by producers and speculative investments by investors.

Tradable Commodities: What They are, How They Work (2024)

FAQs

Tradable Commodities: What They are, How They Work? ›

Tradable commodities are goods used in commerce and are interchangeable with other goods of the same type. The inputs in the creation of finished goods and services are tradable commodities. Tradable commodities are classified as energy, metals, livestock, and agriculture.

How does trading commodities work? ›

Commodities trading works in the same way as speculating on any other market, in that buyers and sellers come together to exchange goods. The only difference is that commodities can be bought and sold at a current and future price.

What is tradable commodities? ›

tradable commodity. Definition English: Tradable commodities consist of basic goods used in commerce that are often interchangeable with other goods of the same type. These tradable commodities are usually evaluated by economists as inputs in the production of other goods or services.

What are 4 different types of commodities that can be traded? ›

Grain, oil, natural gas, beef and gold are some examples of commodities. These help in diversifying the portfolio beyond traditional securities. Those who wanted to trade in commodities can invest through futures contracts, exchange-traded funds options funds.

What is a commodity and how does it work? ›

What are Commodities? Commodities are raw materials used to create the products consumers buy, from food to furniture to gasoline or petrol. Commodities include agricultural products such as wheat and cattle, energy products such as oil and natural gas, and metals such as gold, silver and aluminum.

How do commodities traders make money? ›

Commodity traders often speculate. Speculation in this case means they take a directional bet on where the market is going. They are a thousand ways to speculate. However, at the end of the day, it's always a matter of betting if the market is going up or going down.

What is the most tradable commodity in the world? ›

Oil is the most traded commodity in the world, with about 100 million barrels traded every day.

What is the most traded commodity? ›

Brent Crude oil is the most traded global commodity. Brent Crude is extracted from the North Sea and accounts for two-thirds of global oil pricing. Like the other crude oil benchmark WTI, Brent Crude is mainly refined into diesel fuel and gasoline. Brent Crude is generally slightly more expensive than WTI crude oil.

What are the three most traded commodities? ›

Three of the most commonly traded commodities include oil, gold, and base metals.

Do commodity traders make a lot of money? ›

The salaries of Commodities Traders in The US range from $73,918 to $762,812, and the average is $166,453.

How do I buy commodities? ›

How to invest in commodities
  1. Physical ownership. This is the most basic way to invest in commodities. ...
  2. Futures contracts. ...
  3. Individual securities. ...
  4. Mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs). ...
  5. Alternative investments.

Is electricity considered a commodity? ›

Electricity is a unique tradable commodity because it is not storable. Several characteristics differentiate it from other tangible commodities like crude oil or natural gas: It is completely interchangeable. One megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity produced from coal or natural gas contains the same amount of energy.

Is coffee a commodity product? ›

Coffee is a popular beverage and an important commodity. Tens of millions of small producers in developing countries make their living growing coffee.

Can you make money with commodities? ›

You can make a lot of money through futures contracts if you're right about the underlying commodity price, but you can lose a lot too. Be sure to understand the risks involved so you can avoid, or at least be aware of, the potential for a margin call and other events that can impact the success of your trade.

Is sugar considered a commodity? ›

Sugar cane is considered one of the most valuable agricultural commodities in the world.

How much money does a commodity trader make? ›

The estimated total pay for a Commodity Trader is $234,683 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $131,639 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

How to trade in commodities for beginners? ›

5 Essential Steps For Traders To Start Commodity Trading
  1. Step 1 - Getting Familiar About The Commodity Trading Exchanges. ...
  2. Step 2 – Selecting the Efficient Stockbroker. ...
  3. Step 3 – Opening The Commodity Trading Account. ...
  4. Step 4 - Making An Initial Deposit. ...
  5. Step 5 – Create A Trading Plan.

Is commodity trading still profitable? ›

Commodity traders had their second-best year on record in 2023, with profits of around $100bn and large cash accumulations. Although all results are not yet public, profits at the largest independent trading houses are expected to have fallen by 33% from the record level of $150bn in 2022.

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