The article aims to present the most important issues of competition for raw materials, where different ideas of international trade are identified with political and financial pressure. The method of research used in the work is the analysis of literary heritage and historical facts that confirm or deny different theories. In particular, the theories of T. Malthus, neo-Malthusians and their opponents, as well as the struggle for oil and gas resources in the Middle East, the Arctic and the struggle for water resources in Central Asia were analyzed. In recent years, raw materials have become an instrument of international security. It is the struggle for sources of raw materials that is one of the decisive factors in world stability. Trade in resources should be the focus of regular observations to ensure geopolitical stability