An understanding of price structures and their impact on trade, productivity, and other related factors will aid in formulation of price policies promoting economic growth and development. Price formulation issues are examined within the context of nonmarket and imperfect market conditions, providing insightful linking of exchange rates and domestic prices to a wide array of factors that determine economic growth. Different facets of primary commodity price formation are explored, arriving at such conclusions as the fact that the dramatic rise in oil prices during the 1970s had little to do with the Latin American debt crisis or with the world recession that followed. Some new techniques for analysis are used, and commonly used techniques in price comparison studies are discussed.