Portuguese Monopoly

arly 1594 nine merchants gathered around a table in Amsterdam to talk over plans for a joint trade venture to Asia. They had sufficient reasons for such an undertaking as during the preceding hundred years Portuguese ships had transported spices to Lisbon via a route past the Cape of Good Hope. They had monopolized the pepper and spice trade to Europe. The Asian goods were transported to Lisbon by Dutch ships mainly. From Lisbon the goods were exported to Europe. Prices in Europe had increased due to difficulties in shipping by the Portuguese. The Dutch merchants wanted to circumvent the Portuguese authority and make their fortunes in the spice trade. They had sufficient information.