Commerce

Cargo ships docked in Newark, New Jersey. Commerce includes the transport of goods by sea.
AP/WIDE WORLD

The exchange of goods, products, or any type of PERSONAL PROPERTY. Trade and traffic carried on between different peoples or states and its inhabitants, including not only the purchase, sale, and exchange of commodities but also the instrumentalities, agencies, and means by which business is accomplished. The transportation of persons and goods, by air, land, and sea. The exchange of merchandise on a large scale between different places or communities.

Although the terms commerce and trade are often used interchangeably, commerce refers to large-scale business activity, while trade describes commercial traffic within a state or a community.