The Trade Council was a branch of the Galactic Republic charged with overseeing the state of commerce in the Republic, following the outbreak of the Clone Wars.
With the secession of the Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation and other corporate entities prior to the start of the Clone Wars, the Trade Council attempted to regulate the many changes this action brought to commercial activity in the galaxy. It was the primary body for mediating disputes over the availability of technology and raw materials, and was forced to decide the best course of action when the regulation of commercial commodities threatened the economical climate of a planet in the Republic.