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Thus, [[capitalism]] is a type of economy in which both [[input]]s and [[output]]s of production have become marketed goods and services (or [[commodities]]). In such an economy, Marx argues, what regulates the exchange of labour-products is their [[prices of production]], i.e. cost-price + average profit.
Another way of saying this, is that "sale at production prices becomes the normal condition of supply" for new output produced (although in particular cases market prices might be above or below the production price). This means that the exchange values realised in trade reflect not only a true production cost, but also a "mark-up" or [[surplus-value]] in excess of that cost. Usually this is in a range of perhaps 8-15% of capital invested (net) or about 10-40% of product prices.
Capitalist economic exchange, Marx argues, is not a simple exchange of equivalents. It aims not to trade goods and services of ''equivalent'' value, but instead ''to make money from the trade'' (this is called [[capital accumulation]]). The aim is to "buy as cheaply as possible, and sell as dear as possible". The effect is that the whole cost-structure of production ''permanently includes profit as an additional impost''. In an overall sense, Marx argues the substance of this impost is the unpaid [[surplus labour]] performed by the [[working class]].
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