Note that prices for the bases'/planets' top exports/imports will change wildly for each new game. Ascii Sector generates a new random price landscape at the start: "Preparing commodity market...". So e.g. transporting 1x gems from Andingmen to New Beijing can make 220 credits in one game but 40 in the next. Therefore understand that the following are only suggestions worth trying, they always do generate profit, but your mileage may vary:
- A fast guide is: buy grain or wood at Basin; transport that to Slavneft or Ragozin and buy advanced fuels. Transport the fuel to Hooper's Hope or Novy Norilsk and buy gems. Transport the gems to Pyrdion, buy nothing; then fly to Basin and start the whole thing over again. (Quoted by Lexus | Originally written by VincentFirePony)
- Buy wood at Basin, take that to Hooper's Hope, where you sell the wood and buy as many gems as possible, followed by as much iron as possible. Take the gems and iron to Basin, where you buy luxury food and sell the iron. Continue to Pyrdion, where you sell both the gems and the luxury foods and return to Basin. (Quoted and originally written by JMaxchill)
- Buy iron and gems, with gems being the priority, at Novy Norilisk (Mendeleev System), then go to Ragozin (also in Mendeleev) and sell the gems and iron. Buy as much mining equipment as possible, then plastics, and fly back to Novy. Repeat. (The advantage for this trade route is not that its profitable, but very fast, thanks to the fact that it's all in one sector)
- New Beijing (mining equipment) → Guamo or Andingmen (tungsten or iron) → Xidan (advanced fuels or gems) → New Beijing. Or return from Guamo/Andingmen directly to New Beijing with gems. Or skip from New Beijing directly to Xidan with medical equipment, software or computers.
- Buy as much grain as you can on Basin, then sell all of it on Pyrdion.
- Buy gems on Hooper's Hope then sell it on Basin or Pyrdion.
- (enter your own favourite trade route here):
Tradeflow matching imports/exports from New Beijing.
Merchant Guild[]
If you don't find a route netting over 100 credits per cargo unit then doing Merchants Guild missions is probably more effective (and a lot less repetitive). And check the trade news for special bargains.