The largest private companies in the world are commodity trading companies that most people have never heard of. Despite their relative obscurity, these companies play a significant role in the global economy by handling the purchase, transportation, processing, and selling of commodities that are used by people every day. In a video, the CEO of these companies gives a formal explanation of their activities, while the second part of the video reveals the two real reasons why these companies are so successful.
Key Takeaways
- Commodity trading companies are involved in purchasing, transporting, processing, and selling commodities that are used by people every day.
- The competitive advantage of commodity trading companies lies in their ability to obtain cheap financing and manage risk effectively.
- The financialization of the world economy has skewed the market in favor of commodity trading companies, making it difficult for competitors to expand upstream or downstream.
Understanding Commodity Trading Companies
Commodity trading companies are some of the largest private companies in the world, with revenues that reach billions of dollars. Despite their immense size and influence, many people have never heard of them. These companies are involved in the trading of commodities, which are raw materials or primary agricultural products that are bought and sold in large quantities.
There are five core activities that commodity trading companies engage in: purchasing, transporting, processing, and selling commodities, as well as adding value through the supply chain. While purchasing and selling may seem straightforward, buying a large quantity of anything internationally is quite complex. For example, if a factory owner in New Zealand wants to buy a container of cleaning chemicals from China, they may face delays, quality issues, and even bank compliance problems.
Transporting commodities is also a crucial activity, as commodities are usually low-value products that need to be transported in high volume to reach economies of scale. Additionally, commodity trading companies have expanded upstream and downstream the supply chain by becoming commodity processors. This means they transform commodities into raw materials or ingredients, such as grinding cocoa beans to produce cocoa powder.
The two main reasons why commodity trading firms are so successful are their ability to get cheap financing and their willingness to take on perceived market risks. As the world becomes more financialized, cheap financing has become a crucial factor in determining success. Additionally, if a transaction is deemed too risky by the market, a commodity trader may be willing to take it on and make a profit. However, if there is no perceived risk, it can be challenging to find an arbitrage and make a profit.
In conclusion, commodity trading companies play a vital role in the global economy. They engage in complex activities such as purchasing, transporting, processing, and selling commodities, as well as adding value through the supply chain. Their success is due in part to their ability to secure cheap financing and their willingness to take on perceived market risks.
Core Activities of Commodity Trading Companies
Commodity trading companies engage in a variety of activities to bring commodities to market. These activities can be broken down into five core categories: purchasing, transporting, storing, processing, and selling commodities.
Purchasing Commodity
Purchasing commodities is a complex process, especially when dealing with international transactions. Commodity trading companies must navigate issues such as delayed shipments, quality control, and customs regulations. They also need to manage the risk of non-payment by suppliers, which can be difficult to enforce in foreign countries.
Transporting Commodity
Commodity trading companies are responsible for transporting commodities from their source to their destination. This involves coordinating with shipping companies, trucking companies, and other logistics providers. Commodity transport is a critical part of the supply chain, as commodities are often produced in one part of the world and consumed in another.
Storing Commodity
Commodities are often produced in large quantities, but demand can be variable. To manage this variability, commodity trading companies must store commodities until they are needed. This involves managing warehouses and storage facilities, as well as monitoring commodity prices to ensure that storage costs do not exceed potential profits.
Processing Commodity
Some commodity trading companies also engage in processing activities, such as refining or grinding raw materials into finished products. This allows them to capture more value from the commodities they trade. Processing activities also require significant investment in equipment and facilities.
Selling Commodity
Finally, commodity trading companies must sell their commodities to end-users. This involves managing relationships with buyers, negotiating contracts, and ensuring that commodities are delivered on time and to the correct specifications. Commodity trading companies must also manage the risk of price fluctuations, which can significantly impact their profits.
In conclusion, commodity trading companies engage in a range of activities to bring commodities to market. These activities require significant investment in logistics, storage, processing, and sales. Commodity trading companies must also manage a range of risks, from non-payment by suppliers to price fluctuations. Overall, commodity trading is a complex and challenging business that requires a high level of expertise and knowledge.
Financing in Commodity Trading Companies
Commodity trading companies require a lot of financing to support their core activities, which include purchasing, transporting, storing, processing, and selling commodities. As the world becomes more financialized, the ability to obtain cheap financing has become a key advantage for commodity trading companies. This advantage has allowed them to minimize the ability of their competitors to expand downstream or upstream through the supply chain.
For example, a small mine that sells $5 million worth of copper cathode each month must pay around $100,000 in financing fees for the goods to reach their destination. However, if they are competing with traders who have a cost of financing of 4%, it makes more sense for them to sell directly to the traders and let them finance the transport to the customer.
In addition to obtaining cheap financing, commodity trading companies can also make money when the perceived risk-reward ratio of a transaction is different from the market risk-reward ratio. If a transaction is deemed too risky by the market, a trader who closes it can make a good amount of money. However, if there is no perceived risk by the market, it can be extremely difficult to make money as a trader and they may have to speculate to close any deal.
Overall, financing is a critical component of commodity trading companies’ success. The ability to obtain cheap financing and take advantage of perceived market risks allows them to maintain their position as some of the largest private companies in the world.
Competitive Advantage of Commodity Trading Companies
Access to Cheap Financing
Commodity trading companies have a competitive advantage over their competitors due to their access to cheap financing. As the world becomes more financialized, these companies have been able to take advantage of the market and consistently get financing at lower rates than other players in the industry. This allows them to minimize the ability of their competitors to expand downstream or upstream.
For example, a small mine that sells copper cathode every month may have to pay financing fees of around 12% annually to transport the copper to its customers. This translates to around $100,000 in financing fees for a $5 million sale. However, if the mine competes with traders who have a cost of financing of only 4%, it would make more sense for the mine to sell directly to the traders and let them finance the transport to the customer. This would be the most optimized way for the mine to operate.
Risk Reward Ratio
Commodity trading companies also have the ability to make money when the perceived risk reward ratio is different than the market risk reward ratio. If a transaction is deemed too risky by the market, a trader who closes the deal is most likely going to make a good amount of money. For instance, prepaying a local mine in South Sudan or giving credit to a group of armed rebels for their fuel needs are extremely risky transactions. However, if a trader closes these deals, they are likely to make a lot of money.
On the other hand, when there is no perceived risk by the market, it becomes extremely difficult for traders to make money. They may have to speculate if they want to close any deal. This is because they need to find an arbitrage to make a profit.
In conclusion, commodity trading companies have a competitive advantage over their competitors due to their access to cheap financing and their ability to make money when the perceived risk reward ratio is different than the market risk reward ratio.
Conclusion
In conclusion, commodity trading companies play a crucial role in the global economy. They are involved in the purchase, transportation, processing, and sale of commodities such as oil, wheat, and cocoa beans. Although these companies operate behind the scenes, their activities have a significant impact on our daily lives.
Commodity trading firms add value to the supply chain by managing the complex process of purchasing commodities from international suppliers. They also transport large quantities of commodities using various modes of transportation, such as trucks, trains, and tankers. Moreover, they help to bridge the gap between the production and consumption of commodities by financing and storing them in between harvests.
The two main reasons why commodity trading firms are so successful are their ability to obtain cheap financing and their willingness to take on perceived market risks. They use their financial expertise to minimize the cost of financing, which allows them to expand downstream and upstream in the supply chain. They also take on risky transactions that other market players avoid, which can lead to significant profits.
Overall, commodity trading companies are an essential part of the global economy, and their activities have a far-reaching impact on our daily lives. While their operations may seem complex and opaque, their role in the supply chain is vital for ensuring the availability of commodities that we rely on every day.