Rotterdam and Amsterdam as Trading Places? In Search of the Economic-Geographical Nexus between Global Commodity Chains and World Cities

Wouter Jacobs

Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 2014, vol. 105, issue 4, 483-491

Abstract: This Windows on the Netherlands addresses the economic geography of commodity trade by providing insights from two Dutch port cities: Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It is argued that commodity traders provide an empirical site for uncovering the missing links between research on world cities on the one hand, and global commodity chains on the other. Commodity trading is compelling as it is linked both with the financial sector (financing and paper trade) and with the production and distribution of commodities (storage and transportation). However, these two activities do not necessarily need to be in geographical proximity. Rotterdam and Amsterdam handle large volumes of commodities flowing through their ports, but the trading desks of the large commodity houses handle the trade transactions. There is a strong presence of the world's largest commodity traders in the Netherlands, which include not only the port-based physical-operational functions but also the trading desks, treasuries and holding companies. The paper concludes with an overview of avenues for further research.

Date: 2014
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