Rome was the most important trading centre. She imported large amounts of food, luxury goods, animals and. marble, granite, alabaster and porphyry were also traded for construction. Pergamon (Bergama), Ephesus (Selçuk) and Smyrna (Izmir) on the western coast of Turkey, Antioch (Antakya) in Syria, Tyrus (Tyre) in Lebanon, Caesarea (near Hadera) in Israel, Alexandria of Egypt, Cyrene (Shahhat) and Leptis Magna (Khoms) in Libya, Carthage (near Tunis) in Tunisia, Hippo Regius (Annaba) and Caesarea of Mauretania (Cherchell) in Algeria, , Cartago Nova (Cartagena), Tarrago (Tarragona) and Barcino (Barcellona) in Spain, Massilia (Marseille) and Narbo (Narbonne) in France, Pisae (Pisa), Puteoli (Pozuoli, Naples), Pompeii, Tarentum (Taranto) Brundusium (Brindisi), Ravenna and Aquileia in Italy were trading ports on the coast of the Mediterranean. Clysma (near Port Said), Myos Hormos (near Al-Qusayr) and Berenice (Greek)/ Veronica (Latin (near the border with Sudan) in Egypt were trading ports on the Red Sea.Tomis (Constanța) in Romania, Odessus (Varna) and Debeltum (Burgas) in BBulgaria were trading ports on the Black Sea. Tingis (Tangier) in Morocco, Gades (Cadiz), (Onoba Huelva) in Spain, Ossonoba (Faro), Olisippo (Lisbon) and Portus Cale (near Porto) in Portugal, Brigantium (A Coruña) is Galicia, Spain, Burdigala (Bordeaux), Portus Namnetum (Nantes) were trading ports on the Altantic. Rotomagus (Rouen) Portus Itius, (later called Bonomia; Boulogne) in France and Portus Dubris (Dover), Noviomagus Reginorum (Chichester) in England were trading ports on the English Channel. Londinium (London was the most important trading centre in England.

Inland trading centres were Lugdunum (Lyon) Tolosa (Toulouse), Lutetia Parisiorum (Paris), Durocortorum (Reims) and Bononia (Boulogne) in Gaul, Italica (Seville), Salamanca, Toletum (Toledo), Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza), Augusta Trevorum (Triers) Colonia Agrippina (Cologne) Augusta Vindelicorum (Ausburg) in Germany, Juvavum (Saltsburg), Virunum (Magdalensberg) and Vindobona (Vienna) in Austria, Savaria (Szombathely) and Sopianae (Pécs) in Hungary, Siscia (Sisak) in Croatia, Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica) and Viminacium (near Kostolac) in Serbia, Doclea (near Podgorica) in Montenegro, Dyrrachium (Durres) in Albania, Ratiaria (Archar) and Serdica (Sophia) Phillipopolis (Greek)/Trimontium (Latin; Plovdiv) and Marcianopolis (Devnya) in Bulgaria, Hadrianopolis (Edirne) in European Turkey, Beroea (Aleppo) and Hierapolis Euphratensis (near Manbij) in Syria, Oxyrhynchus (el-Bahnasa), Ptolemais Hermiou(Al Manshah) and Syene (Swenet in ancient Egyotian, Aswan) in Egypt, Sitifis (Setif) in Algeria, Volubilis (near Meknes) in Morocco.

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The most important commodity was grain which was needed to feed Rome's enormous population. Egypt supplied half of this. Other major producers were Tunisia, Sicily and Sardinia. Rome was also a massive importer of olive oil. An artificial hill (Mount Testaccio) was built with discarded amphora shreds, most of which had been used for olive oil. Most of this oil came from Spain. Northwest Africa was also another important exporter. Olive oil was produced all over the Mediterranean. Wine was a major item of trade and was produced around the Mediterranean, (Turkey and Syria were important exporters) in Gaul and in Kent (Britain) and southern Germany.

Besides grain, olive oil and wine, Spain exported gold, silver and other metals, timber and horses. Gaul exported glass, wine and wool. Britannia exported metals, wool and pottery. Turkey and Syria exported timber, wool, and horses. Greece exported manufactures. Egypt exported cotton, linen, papyrus, ivory, gemstones, ebony, ostrich feathers, leopard skins, lions, leopards and elephants

Roman trade also reached Arabia, which exported incense and spices. Nabataea (Jordan) acted as a trade route for incense, perfumes and spices from Arabia and the Red Sea to Syria, where they were shipped to Rome from Antioch, in Syria. The Persians, acted as intermediaries for the trade with China and India, via the Silk Roads which though Asia, which crossed the Persian Empire. China exported mainly silk, and India exported spices, herbs, sesame oil, sugar, limes, peaches, ebony, pearls and wild animals (tigers, elephants, and snakes which were used for circus-type animal acts). There was also seaborne trade between Egypt and southern India via the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, which used the monsoon winds. Indonesian spices also reached the Roman Empire via this route. The growth of trade though the Red Sea also led to the Kingdom of Axum (Eritrea and northern Ethiopia) becoming an intermediary along this trade route. Axum also became the exporter of inland African good, ivory, ebony and exotic animals (elephants, rhinos, giraffes and ostriches) and of salt, gold, iron and slaves.