Unlike Civilization VI, there is no way to decide which state should join the trade in Cities: Skylines, and player can never determine which goods and products will be imported or exported from the city. However, the percentage of incoming and going products, listed in the sidebar, serves as an indication of trade. Trade occurs natrually based on needs, transportation, and zone allocation.
If a city produces electricity through coal or oil, it must import fuels. To make sure a consistent fuel supply, it is important to maintain proper transportation. The most efficient approach is to minimize the distance between zthe raw material provider and the consumer. Since I have not purchased "industrial" mod from Steam, the best method to maintain the supply chain stable is to position the power plants next to the highways, cargo stations, or ports. This way, the raw materials can reach the power plants quickly, regardless traffic jams.
Another important point is that commercial zones and industrial zones rely on each other unless there are transportation systems in place to support import and export. Consider a scenario where there aren't no sufficient roads or cargo stations connecting to other cities. Without industry, no goods are produced, so what would the stores sell in commercial zones? Similarly, if there are no comercial places, who would buy products from the industry. While residents can directly consume goods from the industry, they are not big costomers. Therefore, to run both comercial and industrial areas effectively, it is advisable to locate them next to each other, allowing trade to occur between them.
Meanwhile, the cargo station, which supports import and export, is also crucial. If the industries produce too much, or if the commercial owners do not have enough goods to sell, buying or selling products from or to other cities becomes a viable option. However, long-distance transportaion require more vehicles to drive, which can lead to traffic jams and delay products delivery. The purpose of the cargo station is to collect products and transport them together to or from other places, eliminating the need for each factory to send numerous vehicles on long journeys. Instead, factories send their products to the cargo stations, which act as the central hub. To reduce transportation time between industries and cargo stations, it is beneficial to locate them close to each other, thus improving efficiency.
Inconclusion, zones, trade, and transportation are closely interconnected. It is challenging for a city or a state to operate independently without trade and transportation with other cities, especially when a city cannot produce raw materials itself, lacks sufficient consumers to purchase products, or overproduces goods.
Last modified on 2023-06-28