The Ceres Merchants’ Council is the governing trade body at Ceres Station. It initially opposed Governor Liu Wenjing’s proposal for a water-ice-backed local currency, wanting nothing on the books resembling competition with UN Credit. The Council’s position shifted after approximately two years of negotiation, driven by the practical recognition that UN Credit transfers routed through Earth-based clearing routinely took a season to settle at belt distances while crews were already bartering commodities locally.