Alfred Maizels' work on commodity trade and prices documented trends in a major area of international economic relations. This title elaborates the ideas in the tradition of Maizels' contributions, and discusses and extends these theories in relation to current problems

1. Introduction and overview -- 2. The concept of exchange configuration -- 3. Terms and concepts for an analysis of exchange -- 4. Elements of exchange -- 5. A typology of exchange configurations -- 6. Systems of exchange in different phases of development -- 7. The dynamic forces in exchange...