Setting up an exchange station in X4: Foundations is a surefire way to turn mere creditssss into a steady flood of wealth! A wise Teladi does not leave profitsss to chance—follow these step-by-step instructionssss to ensure your trading empire is built on a foundation of profit and efficiency.

If you already have an empire of creditsss, feel free to skip ahead to the Wares Table section—no time should be wasted when there is profit to be made! Otherwise, I recommend starting with the How to Set Up an Exchange Station section.

A comprehensive list of wares available across the galaxy, complete with optimal buy and sell prices. Use this to ensure every trade deal maximises your profitsss!

A specialised list of Terran wares, covering exclusive goods and their best trading prices. Even in Terran space, there are profitssss to be made—if you know where to look!

1. Choose a Lucrative Location:
   
   A wise Teladi knows location is everything! Choose a sector with high traffic and diverse trade opportunities—plenty of ships mean plenty of dealssss!
   
   Proximity to factories and resource zones increases trade volume, maximising your credit flow.
   
   
2. Build the Foundation of Wealth:
   
   Purchase a profitable plot in your desired sector via the Plot Management menu—ah, an investment in future profitssss.
   
   Once your plot is secured, open the Build Station interface.
   
   Begin with a basic Dock (for ship access) and Container Storage (for goods). No dock? No traders! No traders? No profitssss!
   
   Consider security, yes? Add Defence Modules—turrets or shields—to deter "unfortunate losses" from hostile forces. A wise investor protects their assets!
   
   
3. Appoint a Profitable Overlord (Manager):
   
   Even the most profit-driven Teladi cannot run everything alone!
   
   Visit a shipyard or wharf and look for a suitable Manager. If you already have an eager, profit-seeking employee in your Personnel tab, promote them to their most lucrative potential!
   
   
4. Set the Right Price – Buy Low, Sell High!
   
   Navigate to your station’s Logical Overview and select each ware you wish to trade.
   
   Use the Wares Table in this guide to determine optimal Buy and Sell prices. Buying too high? Lossesssss! Selling too low? Foolishnessss!
   
   
5. Fleet of Credit-generating Traders:
   
   A station without traders is like a Teladi without profit—unthinkable!
   
   Purchase Small, Medium, or Large Traders—but mind your docking facilities.
   
   New to the trade? Start simple: a few Small or Medium traders will keep creditssss flowing. Assign them to your station as Traders and watch the profitsss roll in!
   
   
6. Fill the Station’s Vault – Manage Fundssss:
   
   Even the most perfect station needs fundsss to operate!
   
   Transfer credits to ensure your station can buy goods. A well-funded station is a profitable station!
   
   
7. Reap the Profitssss of Your Wisdom!
   
   Once operational, your exchange station will attract NPC traders, boosting your income stream. But beware!
   
   At first, your station will consume creditssss to build up supplies. Monitor its budget carefully—adjust prices, expand storage, and never stop growing your wealth!

Go forth, profit-seeker, and claim your rightful fortune! May your trade routes overflow with creditssss!

When managing an exchange station in X4: Foundations, profit-seekers must control trade carefully to prevent, ah, unfortunate losses to rival factions or greedy NPC traders. The Global Orders menu allows you to set up Trade Rules, granting total control over who may trade at your stations—and who must seek their profitsssss elsewhere.

By default, all wares are open to the galaxy, which is not always ideal. A wise Teladi knows that some goods are best kept internal, while others can be sold to the highest bidder without a second thought. To remedy this, we shall establish two essential trade rules:

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• External Trading Rule – Allows trade with all factions unless specified otherwise, making it easy to open or restrict trading from a single setting.
  
• Internal Trading Rule – Ensures only your faction trades specific wares, keeping vital resources in the family.

For those who seek even more control, a third rule may be added for selective trade with trusted allies—but more on that later.

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This rule is useful when you wish to easily allow or block external factions from trading at your stations.

1. Open the Global Orders menu.
   
2. Navigate to Trade Rules and create a new rule.
   
3. Name it "External".
   
4. Under Allowed Factions, select All Factions (or remove any unfortunate competitors you wish to exclude).
   
5. Set this rule as default for all new stations.

With this in place, you can toggle external trade on or off with ease, rather than fiddling with each ware manually.

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Sometimes, even a Teladi must not share. If you wish to hoard your goods and keep supplies flowing only within your own operations, this setting is for you.

1. Open the Trade Rules menu and create a new rule.
   
2. Name it "Internal".
   
3. Select Restrict All Factions – this will ensure that only your own faction may trade these wares.
   
4. Apply this rule to any ware you wish to protect from those pesky, profit-draining NPCs.

Without setting up this rule, the only default option is no restriction, meaning any faction may swoop in and take advantage of your hard-earned supply chains. A grievous loss, yes?

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For those who prefer to limit certain resources to only their most trusted allies, a third rule can be created:

1. Make a new Trade Rule and name it "Ally" (or something suitably, ah, exclusive).
   
2. Allow only specific factions—perhaps a well-oiled trade partner or a defensive coalition.
   
3. Apply this to strategic wares, such as weapon components, antimatter cells, or high-tech goods, ensuring only your closest friendssssss reap the benefits.

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• Profitsss First! – Open trade where you want it, restrict it where you don’t.
  
• Secure Supply Chains – NPC traders won’t deplete your stations’ resources if you don’t let them.
  
• Stay Ahead of Rivals – No more “accidental” stock depletion during wartime—your resources are yours alone.
  
• Adapt on the Fly – Whether you need to lock down trade during a conflict or open up to take advantage of shortages, switching trade rules is quick and painlesssssss.

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With these rules in place, you can ensure that profitssssss always flow in the right direction—yours!

A wise profit-seeker knows that sometimes, the best trade deal is with yourself! Managing Wares Transfer between your own stations ensures that your economy runs smoothly and that valuable resources stay within your supply chain, rather than being snatched up by NPC traders.

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There are two main ways to move wares within your own network:

• One-Time Manual Transfers – Directly move wares using a transport ship.
  
• Automated Supply Fleet – Use traders with the "Fill Shortages" command and Internal Trade Rules to balance wares across your stations.

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If a station urgently needs a ware, you can manually move it using a trade ship. This is the fastest method for emergency supply situations.
How to do a manual transfer:

• Select a ship with appropriate cargo space (like a Large Freighter).
  
• Right-click your source station and select "Transfer Wares".
  
• Choose the ware and set the quantity.
  
• Select the destination station and confirm the transfer.

This method is perfect for one-time corrections or for resupplying a station that is temporarily out of stock.

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To maintain a seamless flow of resources between your stations, you can utilise the "Fill Shortages" command for your trade ships. This approach allows your freighters to automatically supply stations that are low on specific wares.
Setting up a "Fill Shortages" Trade Fleet:

• Prepare Your Freighters: Ensure you have freighters with adequate cargo capacity and that they are not assigned to any station.
  
• Assign the "Fill Shortages" Behaviour: Select your freighter, navigate to its behaviour settings, and assign the "Fill Shortages" command. Specify the wares you want the ship to distribute among your stations.
  
• Set Trade Restrictions: To ensure these freighters operate exclusively within your stations, apply trade restrictions or blacklists that limit their interactions to your assets only.
  
• Monitor and Adjust: Regularly check the performance of your trade fleet to ensure they are effectively balancing the supply and demand across your stations.

This method provides a dynamic solution to internal logistics, allowing your trade ships to respond to the evolving needs of your stations without manual intervention.

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Selling wares to NPCs may bring quick profits, but keeping resources within your own supply chain has long-term benefits:

• Ensures stable production chains – No resource shortages slowing down manufacturing.
  
• Prevents competitors from buying out your stock – Secure your own resources first!
  
• Saves money – You don’t have to re-buy materials later at a markup.
  
• Maximises efficiency – Internal trading allows for better control over logistics.
  
• Spreads your supplies across your network – Whether manufactured or traded, goods move from where they are cheap to where they are needed, ensuring maximum profitssss!

A wise Teladi knows that every credit saved is a credit earned!

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Wares Transfer is an essential tool for optimising your economy and ensuring that no valuable resources are wasted. Whether you manually move cargo in emergencies or automate station supply chains, keeping trade flowing within your own stations is the key to long-term wealth!
Remember: A trade empire that supplies itself first always secures the best dealssss!

Even the most well-planned trade empire can experience... unexpected inefficiencies. But fear not, profit-seeker! Here are some common trading issues and how to keep the creditssss flowing!

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By default, stations in X4: Foundations will automatically adjust their buy and sell prices based on storage levels—buying at higher prices when low on stock and selling at lower prices when overstocked. However, this can lead to unpredictable trades and potential losses.

To prevent this, we disable auto-trading and set fixed buy and sell prices, ensuring trades only occur under favorable market conditions. If your station stops trading a ware, check the following:

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• Check Storage Levels – If storage is full, the station won’t buy more. If empty, it may need manual resupply.
  
  
• Verify Price Settings – While you can adjust buy and sell prices, this may lead to lost profitssss if not done carefully. Instead, consider alternative solutions such as securing new suppliers, expanding your trade network, or producing the ware yourself.
  
  
• Ensure Trade Offers Are Active – Open the Logical Overview and confirm that buy and sell orders are set.
  
  
• Check Station Budget – The station must have enough credits available to purchase wares.
  
  
• Expand Your Trade Network – If supply is slow, adding more stations or trading partners can help keep the economy moving.
  
  
• Consider Producing the Ware Yourself – If external supply is inconsistent, setting up a production factory can secure a steady flow of goods and lead to significant profitssss!
  
  
• Too Much Supply? Perhaps Some... "Market Correction" is Needed – If an oversupply is keeping prices low, well... a few unfortunate accidents at key competitor stations might just return the market to more profitable conditions. (Just be sure no one traces it back to you!)

If trade still isn’t occurring, check the galaxy map for regional shortages or surpluses that might be affecting your supply chain.

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Your station’s Manager plays a crucial role in trade efficiency. Their * rating affects how far your station’s traders are willing to travel.

Here’s how it works:

• A low-star manager will only trade in the immediate sector.
  
• A high-star manager will send traders much further away, accessing more deals and trade opportunitiessss.

What can you do?

• Hire better managers from shipyards or wharfs.
  
• Train your existing managers by letting them gain experience over time.
  
• Use Seminars to instantly increase a manager’s skill rating (found as inventory items!).
  
• Use trade restrictions carefully—if your manager’s range is too small, they may struggle to trade efficiently.

A station with an experienced manager means more profitable dealssss!

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Your trade empire is only as strong as your market data. Prices change constantly, and without up-to-date information, you may be trading at sub-optimal profit margins!

Ways to keep trading data fresh:

• Deploy Satellites near major trading hubs – this gives you real-time trade data!
  
• Visit stations yourself to update prices manually.
  
• Assign ships to Update Trade Offers – they will automatically refresh market data for you.
  
• Purchase Trade Licenses from each faction – this keeps your trade data updated at all times without needing satellites or scouts.

Remember: A smart trader keeps their data current to stay ahead of the competition! Until then, keep these tips in mind and may the profitssss always be in your favour! 💰

All values in this guide have been gathered through my own profitable gameplay experience. Every effort has been made to ensure these figures reflect the most lucrative and up-to-date market data available. However, even the wisest profit-seeker cannot predict every market fluctuation (or every DLC update that throws prices into chaosss!).

If you spot an error that could impact potential profitssss, leave a comment, and I shall review and update the guide accordingly—because lost creditssss are a tragedy for us all.


To ensure maximum efficiency in wealth accumulation, these formulas were used to determine fair (but always profitable!) buy and sell prices:

• Buy Price (Min + 1/3 of the price range):
  
  Buy Price = Min Price + (1/3 × (Max Price - Min Price))
  
  
  
• Sell Price (2/3 of the price range):
  
  Sell Price = Min Price + (2/3 × (Max Price - Min Price))

A Teladi knows that buying low and selling high is the key to successs! These calculations help optimise trade margins while keeping price fluctuations in mind (and minimising lossesssss!).


Writing this guide felt like setting up a supply chain during a Split invasion… while being told that subjugation builds character. It took longer than expected, cost more than I planned, and yet somehow, I still call it a successs!

Here are some statssss to prove it:

Character Count: 11,338 (About as many as the trade notifications I blissfully ignored.)
Word Count: 845 (More words than a Teladi trying to sell me a ‘guaranteed profit opportunity.’)
Lines: 161 (That’s more lines than an NPC trader stuck in a docking queue.)

If this BBCode was a station module, mine would be operational… but held together with duct tape, hopes, and a single overworked maintenance drone.

May your creditssss be endless and your trade routes flow freely!

If you found this guide useful, you might want to take a look at my other work:

• The Grand Exchange: A Teladi’s Guide to Endless Earningzzz - This guide offers a comprehensive table of all wares in the galaxy, complete with recommended buy and sell.
  
  
• Dal's Data Broker Handbook - Trade Intel, Strategy, and Staying Ahead – A guide to using satellites, scouts, trade subscriptions, and sensor arrays to gather trade data and sector intel.
  
  
• By Structure, Not Sermon: A Paranid’s Guide to Station Blueprint – Axiom’s doctrine on acquiring station blueprints through reputation, data leaks, and precise disruption.

Got feedback or suggestions? Leave a comment! I’m always looking to refine and improve my guides.