61 Countries & Counting

Last week, I came across a post asking how many countries you’ve done business with. I’d never thought to count but curiosity got the better of me.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁? 𝟲𝟭 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.
That’s nearly a third of the world where I’ve had some form of direct impact, sometimes small, sometimes substantial, on economic activity.
And when you consider population-weighted impact, it’s probably even more than that.

One of the most common questions I’m asked is:
“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨?”

When most people hear "trading" they usually think of stock markets - screens flashing, complex strategies, and fast-paced markets.

What they don’t picture is the real-world movement of goods. The global trade flows that commodity traders are privileged to be a part of.

Commodity trading puts you at the heart of the global supply chain. You're not just watching markets, you’re involved in real decisions made by producers, consumers, and sometimes even governments.
You see firsthand how your work affects different regions and the people in them.

Now, this isn’t about painting commodity traders as saints working selflessly for the good of communities. But it 𝘪𝘴 about showing that this industry can be deeply gratifying, and that it’s far more than just numbers on a screen.

If you’re thinking about a career in this industry, know that it will change how you see the world. Every time I see a truck on the road or a vessel at sea, I find myself wondering what it’s carrying, what the premium was, and who traded it.
(My wife assures me that this is 𝘧𝘢𝘳 less interesting than I think it is.)