Commodities which are used in world trade exclude

Analyze the question: The question asks which item is not a legitimate commodity in world (international) trade. We need to find the odd one out.

Concept: A commodity is a good or product that is legally bought and sold in the market. In international trade, commodities fall into three broad groups:

1. Agricultural goods, such as cocoa, cotton, rubber and palm oil.
2. Manufactured goods, such as machinery, vehicles, textiles and electronics.
3. Mineral resources, such as crude oil, tin, coal and gold.

Solution:

• A. Agricultural goods: traded worldwide (e.g. Nigeria and Ghana export cocoa). They are commodities.
• B. Manufactured goods: traded worldwide (e.g. cars from Japan). They are commodities.
• C. Mineral resources: traded worldwide (e.g. Nigeria's crude oil). They are commodities.
• D. Human trafficking: this is an illegal crime and a violation of human rights. People are not goods, and it is not recognised as lawful trade by any country or by international trade bodies such as the WTO.

So the only option that is excluded from the commodities used in world trade is human trafficking.

Exam tip: For "exclude" or "except" questions, test each option against the definition. Here, ask "Is it a legal product that can be bought and sold?" The option that fails the test is your answer. Also remember the three main groups of traded commodities: agricultural, manufactured and mineral.