| Brokerage firms serve as a vital link between buyers | | | | services in addition to executing orders of their |
| and sellers in ensuring trading of commodities through | | | | clients. Under value added services, these firms |
| exchanges. These are the firms which actually | | | | usually provide key market intelligence through |
| execute sales and purchase orders of traders on | | | | published news letters and personal advice. These are |
| exchanges against a specified rate of commission. In | | | | called full service commodity brokerage firms in the |
| addition, these firms take their own positions in | | | | market jargon, and they charge a relatively high rate |
| markets. As sophisticated players of commodity | | | | of commission. In contrast, there are firms which |
| trading, these firms are also consulted by major | | | | offer few services other than executing their clients' |
| traders on likely demand and supply scenarios | | | | sale and purchase orders. But, on the other hand, |
| regarding commodities and consequent market | | | | they also charge comparatively low rates of |
| dynamics. | | | | commission. |
| The agriculture commodities traded on major | | | | Some of these offer discounts to the prevailing |
| exchanges include soybean, cotton, corn and wheat; | | | | commission rates in the markets. These are called |
| crude oil is one of the major non-agriculture | | | | discount brokers. Then, we have brokers in the |
| exchange-traded items. Commodity brokerage firms | | | | commodity markets which offer even higher |
| are equally active in options as well as futures | | | | discounts to their clients. The latter are known as |
| markets. | | | | deep discount brokers. While big traders generally go |
| Commodity brokerages operate along the same lines | | | | for full service, smaller traders prefer discount |
| as their counterparts in stock, bond and currency | | | | brokers in order to limit costs and increase profit |
| markets. The big ones usually provide value added | | | | margins. |