Commerce Guild

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Affiliation:
  Confederacy of Independent Systems

• 

From the Movies

Though the term "commerce guild" has come to describe a number of major corporate entities that have banded together to protect their pursuit of profits, the Commerce Guild proper more accurately describes commodities interests. Businesses involved in the acquisition, refinement and production of raw materials form the backbone of the Commerce Guild, which is headed by its shrewd Presidente, Shu Mai.

When Count Dooku's master plan of sedition began to coalesce in a hidden boardroom on Geonosis, Shu Mai was present. She recognized the support of the Separatist movement would amount to treason, but she could not resist the lure of a profitable venture. She secretly committed the forces of the Commerce Guild, which included its droid armies, to the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

From the Expanded Universe

The Commerce Guild holds an amazing amount of political power through its acquisition of the raw materials necessary for the galaxy to function. The Guild maximizes its profits by stifling alternative technologies and bribing corrupt officials and Senators to control market forces with tariffs.

The Commerce Guild has long been criticized by smaller businesses for its use of abusive and bullying tactics to enforce Guild membership. When whole sectors were seceding from the Republic prior to the Clone Wars, the Commerce Guild swooped in and snatched up many small businesses that were no longer under the protective jurisdiction of the Republic.

To protect its assets and enforce guild membership, the Commerce Guild uses combat automata such as its dwarf spider droid and its giant homing spider droid.

Behind the Scenes

In the Episode II movie, the term "commerce guilds" are used as a catchall phrase for all the corporate entities swayed by Dooku's leadership. Technically, though, "Commerce Guild" only really refers to Shu Mai's organization. Though not visible in the finished film, the Art Department and ILM digital artists developed a starship for the Commerce Guild.