Trade hubs
Trade Hubs are centers of trading in a region of space, usually found in a solar system with many gates that serve as a main pass-through center. Volumes of goods traded in trade hub systems far exceed goods traded in other systems in the region, marked by high availability of goods in one place. The volume of goods increase customers to the system, attracting more sellers, increasing volume, and stabilizing prices. In busy regions such as The Forge, a large fraction of trade takes place at the hub, such as Jita.
The convenience of "one-stop shopping" is such that buyers are usually willing to pay a slight premium just to get the items at the hub rather than elsewhere in the region (this can usually be seen by examining the sell orders of an item). However, in low-population regions where the hubs are not as developed, there may be no premiums charged on goods and often the range must be increased on buy orders in order to reach more sellers.
Trade hubs are created in certain locations for a number of reasons, including location (choke points, proximity to mission hubs or different regions) and available facilities (research facilities, manufacturing lines etc). These factors cause players to use particular stations and systems over others, and once a station is known as a trade hub then players are more likely to use it, cementing its status.
Major Trade Hubs
Jita - The Forge - Caldari Space
- Population: 31,199 [1]
- Total market offers value 14,595 Billion ISK
- Location: Jita IV - Moon 4 - Caldari Navy Assembly Plant
Jita is the center of trade in New Eden and is by far the largest hub in game, often having over 1000 players in system with consistent traffic in and out. Trading in Jita is extremely competitive due to the high level of activity. This often results in fairly low profit margins, and is harder for players with low ISK to succeed in due to the richer able to shrug off the low margins by trading in volume. Be careful as well, since if you do find products with decent profit margins (say above 20%), these items flow a lot slower than those with narrower margins.
Rens - Heimatar - Minmatar Space
- Population: 8,372 [1]
- Total market offers value: 1,938 Billion ISK
- Location: Rens VI - Moon 8 - Brutor tribe Treasury
Amarr - Domain - Amarr Space
- Population: 7,894 [1]
- Total market offers value: 1,931 Billion ISK
- Location: Amarr VIII (Oris) - Emperor Family Academy
Dodixie - Sinq Laison - Gallente Space
- Population: 6,189 [1]
- Total market offers value: 1,387 Billion ISK
- Location: Dodixie IX - Moon 20 - Federation Navy Assembly Plant
Trade Hubs in Empire Space
Metropolis
- Hek, Hek VIII - Moon 12 - Boundless Creation Factory
- Eram
On the direct route from the Uni's home in Aldrat to Hek you will pass, for one system (Eystur), through Heimatar, which lets you check prices in Rens to see if you can get a better deal there.
Placid
- Orvolle
- Stacmon
The Forge
- Jita, Jita IV - Moon 4 - Caldari Navy Assembly Plant
Heimatar
- Rens, Rens VI - Moon 8 - Brutor tribe Treasury
- Lustrevik - many mission runner's base of operations.
- Eystur
- Pator - the second closest trade hub to Aldrat, 5 jumps away.
Essence
- Oursulaert, Oursulaert III - Federation Navy Testing Facilities
Domain
- Amarr, Amarr VIII (Oris) - Emperor Family Academy
- Pernirgman
Sinq Laison
- Dodixie, Dodixie IX - Moon 20 - Federation Navy Assembly
Lonetrek
- Nourvukaiken
- Nonni
- Sobaseki
- Torrinos - 0.5 highsec, leading into EC-P8R (0.0, Pure Blind)
Molden Heath
- Gelfiven
- Teonosude
Tash-Murkon
- Tash-Murkon Prime, Tash-Murkon Prime II - Moon 1 Kaalakiota Corporation Factory
The Citadel
- Hatakani
- Kaunokka
- Motsu
- Suroken
Genesis
- Yulai
Yulai is the old major empire trade hub. CCP didn't like one system being the major single trade hub and closed routes to and from Yulai. This made Jita the new major trade hub of New Eden.
Verge Vendor
- Alentene
- Cistuvaert
Khanid
- Agil
Black Rise
- Ichoriya
Everyshore
- Azer
Devoid
- Esescama
Kador
- Yarebap
Kor-Azor
- Kor-Azor Prime
Resources
Trade Hubs on Empire Fringe
Solitude
- Octanneve
