The article has been dedicated to commodity exchange that enables commodity trading and financial instruments trading on forward market. There have been presented institutions of commodity exchange market, market participants and basic transactions made on spot market (cash market) and forward market. The second part introduces the practical side of the commodity exchange opportunities. The futures type transaction, an option of coal purchase by power industry sector and coal exporter's safeguard before unfavourable foreign exchange rate have been used as illustrations. It has been emphasised that exchange market significance for the economy is due to its functions i.e. mobilization, capital valuation and allocation. There have been depicted market participants opportunities to minimize business risk and make commodity trading more transparent, standardised and common. Basic advantages for the commodity exchange participants have been shown with special emphasis on market risk minimization in case of unfavourable changes of the exchange rate and raw materials prices on the financial markets. The right market evaluation provides both hedging that prevents from its adverse fluctuations and real possibility of enterprises additional profits generation. While analyzing the commodity market it has been pointed out that Polish entrepreneurs' and managers' activities in this branch are not satisfactory.