XChange

The United Stars Wares and Services Exchange Network generally known as the XChange is a semi-federal organization dedicated to facilitate commerce and trade among all member societies and planets. As every Union locality has to have at least one Union School, Union Med Center, Central Communication Hub and at least one Union Peace Officer it also has a Union XChange. It is usually a warehouse like building with packing and shipping facilities where locals can offer their wares, services and products to the Union Market. Union XChanges are tied into GalNet and a special XChange Network Channel where all XChanges are connected. Also approved vendors, merchants and service providers can access the network and engage in business transactions. It is basically commodity and stock exchange simplifying trade. It allows even small farmers, manufacturers or service providers to offer their wares and services to a Union wide market. The XChange often organizes or facilitates shipping. Small shipments are either consolidated for Container freighters or sometimes sent via the parcel services, the Post service or via the small freight item service offered by the Space Bus network. XChange personnel are federal employees and are paid out of the funds provided to the Commerce and trade Committee of the Assembly. The XChange does not charge for its services. The XChange has two segments or branches: The Commercial XChange open to companies and large quantity producers only and the Individual XChange where Union citizens can obtain a small traders license to sell or purchase items or services in small quantities. Everyone trading via the XChange must be a Union citizen or a Union registered business and obtain a trade license. The license is free but can be lost due to fraud and similar criminal activities. Persons or companies found guilty using the XChange for criminal purposes lose trading rights, and usually forever. Free traders often check the XChange network to obtain information about the local market demands to make profit shipping wares and items of demand from places of surplus. The XChange list over 892 product and ware categories and millions of tradable goods and services on its channel. Water, food items and raw minerals are the most common traded wares.