Indian Ocean Monsoon Trade

Monsoon trade is an early case of planning shipments around a fixed seasonal window, much as importers today plan around peak season and Lunar New Year factory closures. Ships from Red Sea ports sailed east on the southwest monsoon and returned when the winds reversed, so missing the window could cost months. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a Greek merchant's guide written in the 1st century CE, describes ports such as Muziris in southern India, where pepper was gathered in warehouses to await Roman ships. Timing purchase orders to sailing schedules and holding stock near ports are still core parts of import planning.

• Lead TimeTime from purchase order to sellable stock
• Peak SeasonThe busiest stretch of the year for orders
• SeasonalityDemand that rises and falls each year

• Phoenician Maritime Tradec. 1200–800 BCE · Sea traders from Tyre and Sidon found colonies abroad
• Silk Road2nd century BCE to 15th century · Overland trade routes link China with the Mediterranean
• Zheng He's Treasure Voyages1405–1433 · Seven Ming fleets sail as far as East Africa

1. Periplus of the Erythraean Sea worldhistory.org
2. Muziris en.wikipedia.org
3. Hippalus en.wikipedia.org