SimCity (2013) City Specialization: Trading Reference Guide

By Nicholas Tan 

City Specialization - Trading Reference Guide





The trade specialization is a requirement for any city that wants to make a profit off excess resources to the global market. You can also import resources you don't have so you can mix it with the resources you have in abundance to contribute to a Smelting Factory.





As such, the Trade Depot/Trade Port is deeply embedded in the process of supply and demand for coal, ore, electronics, plastic, and oil. Adding storage lots increases your output for a particular resource. Just make sure that trucks, trains, and cargo ships have an easy way in and out of your city. Also, you may want to start and stop trade in a certain resource, waiting for the price to go up before selling. 
Name Description Prerequisites Max. Modules Cost Hourly Cost
Trade Depot Import, export, and store resources like coal and crude oil with this basic unit. Also accepts freight shipments for industry. Does not require power or water to function. Global Market Devliery: Every 60 minutes. Road for placement N/A $10,000 $75
Trade Depot Sign This sign has a complex list of directions to different storage lots. Trade Depot 1 $200 None
Freight Truck Garage Time to get that convoy movin'! Add a Freight Truck Garage to increase the rate at which you can send resources from the Trade Depot to manufacturers and consumers in your city. Import/Export Deliveries: 2 tons of goods per trip. Trade Depot 4 (one comes with base) $3,000 $50
Freight Shipping Warehouse This small warehouse accepts freight shipments from local industry. Industry that doesn't have a place to ship its freight may go out of business. Freight Capacity: 54 tons. Trade Depot 4 (one comes with base) $2,000 $15
Coal Storage Lot Adds storage space for coal. Use the coal locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it a high prices. Storage Capacity: 20 tons. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
Crude Oil Storage Lot Adds storage space for crude oil locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 2,000 barrels. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
Raw Ore Storage Lot Adds storage space for raw ore. Use the raw ore locally, or import it from the global market at low prices an export it at high prices. Storage capacity: 20 tons. Trade Depot 4  $2,000 $15
Metal Storage Lot Adds storage space for metal. Use the metal locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 20 tons. Trade Depot, Metal Reclamation Line at Recycling Center or Metals HQ or Metals Division at Trade HQ 4 $2000 $15
Alloy Storage Lot Adds storage space for alloy. Use the alloy locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 20 tons Trade Depot, Alloy Reclamation Line at Recycling Center or Metals HQ or Metals Division at Trade HQ 4 $2,000 $15
Fuel Storage Lot Adds storage space for fuel. Use the fuel locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 2,000 barrels. Trade Depot, Petroleum HQ or Petroleum Division at Trade HQ 4 $2,000 $15
Plastic Storage Lot Adds storage space for plastic. Use the plastic locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 20 tons. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
Processors Storage Lot Adds storage space for processors. Use the processors locally, or import them from the global market at low prices and export them at high prices. Storage Capacity: 200,000 crates. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
Computer Storage Lot Adds storage capacity for computers. Use the computers locally, or import them from the global market at low prices and export them at high prices. Storage Capacity: 200,000 crates. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
TV Storage Lot Adds storage space for TVs. Use the TVs locally, or import them from the global market at low prices and export them at high prices. Storage Capacity: 200,000 crates. Trade Depot 4 $2,000 $15
Trade Port Allows importing, exporting, an storage of commodity resources or freight. Larger storage lots allow for ten times the capacity of the Trade Depot. Rail and cargo ship connections allow import and export via rail or water. Requires water and power to function. Global Market Delivery: Every 60 minutes. Trade HQ N/A $60,000 $225
Heavy Rail Tracks Tracks to connect the Passenger Train Station to the rail network or to connect up to a Freight Train Terminal at a Trade Port. Trade Port N/A $6 None
Trade Port Sign This sign seems to have accumulated a thick layer of road grime. Trade Port 1 $200 None
Delivery Truck Garage Adds a truck to move one resource type from your Trade Port to consumer in your city. Trucks frequently pick up from the Trade Port. Import/Export Deliveries: 2 tons of goods per trip. Trade Port 4 (one comes with base) $3,000 $50
Freight Rail Terminal Allows import and export of resources via freight train. Each storage lot at the Trade Port adds another freight car to the freight train. Trains arrive every few hours. Global Market Delivery: Every 360 minutes. Trade Port 1 $70,000 $400
Cargo Ship Dock Allows import and export of resources via high-capacity cargo ships. Cargo ships only carry one resource at a time, but in massive amounts. Cargo ships arrive several times a day. Global Market Delivery: Every 180 minutes. Trade Port 1 $100,000 $400
Coal Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for coal. Use the coal locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it a high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Metals HQ with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Metals Division 6 $20,000 $150
Freight Shipping Warehouse This high-capacity warehouse accepts freight shipments from local industry. Industry that doesn't have a place to ship its freight may go out of business. Freight Capacity: 108 tons. Trade Port 6 (one comes with base) $20,000 $150
Crude OIl Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for crude oil. Use the crude oil locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 10,000 barrels. Trade Port, Petroleum HQ with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Petroleum Division 6 $20,000 $150
Raw Ore Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for raw ore. Use the raw ore locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it a high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Metals HQ with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Metals Division 6 $20,000 $150
Metal Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for metal. Use the metal locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Metals HQ with Commerical Division or Trade HQ with Metals Division 6 $20,000 $150
Alloy Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for alloy. Use the alloy locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Metals HQ with Commerical Division or Trade HQ with Metals Division or Electronics HQ with Commercial Division 6 $20,000 $150
Fuel Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for fuel. Use the fuel locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 10,000 barrels. Trade Port, Petroleum HD with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Petroleum Division 6 $20,000 $150
Plastic Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for plastic. Use the plastic locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Petroleum HD with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Petroleum Division 6 $20,000 $150
Processors Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for processors. Use the processors locally, or import them from the global market at low prices and export them at high prices. Storage Capacity: 1,000,000 crates. Trade Port, Electronics HQ with Commercial Division or Trade HQ with Electronics Division 6 $20,000 $150
Computer Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for computers. Use the computers locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 1,000,000 crates. Trade Port, Electronics HQ with Commerical Division or Trade HQ with Electronics Division 6 $20,000 $150
TV Storage Lot Adds a large amount of storage for TVs. Use the TVs locally, or import it from the global market at low prices and export it at high prices. Storage Capacity: 100 tons. Trade Port, Electronics HQ with Commerical Division or Trade HQ with Electronics Division 6 $20,000 $150
Trade HQ Amass a fortune as an import/export master! Buy from the global market at low prices and sell when you can make the most Simoleons! Make profit from the global market to expan your trading actions. Upgrades available based on Trade Daily Profit goals. Trade $72,000 in resources on the global market. Plop three different storage lots. N/A $37,500 $450
Trade HQ Sign This well-polished sign seems like it is prety expensive. Trade HQ 1 $200 None
Electronics Division Expand your trading options to electronics and al the resources needed to build them! Local Access Granted: Trade Port, and Plastic, Alloy, Processors, TV, and Computer Storage Lots at the Trade Port. One Division is available with each Trade HQ upgrade, in any order 1 $20,000 $400
Metals Division Expand your trading options to metals resource extractions! Local Access Granted: Trade Port, and Goal, Raw Ore, Metal, and Alloy Trading Lots at the Trade Port. One Division is available with each Trade HQ upgrade, in any order 1 $20,000 $400
Petroleum Division Expand your trading options to petroleum resource extraction and the goods it can be refined into! Local Access Granted: Trade Port, and Grude Oil, Fuel, and Plastic Storage Lots at the Trade Port. One Division is available with each Trade HQ upgrade, in any order 1 $20,000 $400


Nicholas Tan
Nicholas Tan

Nick Tan is a SEO Lead Writer for GameRevolution. Once upon a time, his parents took away his Super Nintendo as a punishment. He has sworn revenge ever since.

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