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So, I was reading several bits of fluff that has me a bit confused. In the 5th ed. Tau Codex, IIRC, it states that the imperium first encountered the Tau in trading with them, right? I was under the impression this would be heresy. It's vague enough in my mind that I may be wrong about it, But I was just now reading my 7th ed. Orks Codex and it indeed says that Blood Axes occasionally trade with isolated imperium planets! So I'm confused, the tau kinda made sense, but why trade with a race that, not just 'will likely attack you', but 'absolutely overtly will raid you soon'? I suppose that in an era where their are no allies to trade with for anybody, this might occur, but I was working on a story about an Ork Freebooter, so I feel I need some clarification on this matter. Does the Imperium trade with Xenos regularly?

No the Imperium doesn't, but the key is isolated worlds. If Imperium has no contact with the world, and the choice is trade with xenos or starve, the people will most likely trade with the xenos.

Officially, no.

But there's exceptions to everything...

There's a strong black market in xenos and xenos artifacts for the discerning collector or wealthy gang-leader (the so-called 'Cold Trade') - definitely illegal and frequently targeted by the Ordo Xenos, but the advantages of shooting up your underhive rivals with Hrud fusils or impressing everyone at the Grand Ball with those pretty Eldar jewels you're wearing. It can happen on a planetary scale, too, if the world is isolated enough or badly needs supplies/a bit of temporary ork muscle/what have you (although that's likely to end badly when the Inquisition notices!)

And then there's Rogue Traders. Rogue Traders get to do whatever they want, within reason; this includes conducting diplomacy and trade with aliens.

On a side note, dealings with orks generally do attract the desperate, mostly, but they don't necessarily end badly; if you're not in a position to be attacked by them once they're done using the shiny new guns you've given them as payment, or if something more interesting comes up, or it's a particularly kunnin' Warboss who realizes the value of a planet of 'umies he can hit up for supplies and a good fight every now and then, you'd get away with it.

Again, until the Inquisition notices

 Spinner wrote:


On a side note, dealings with orks generally do attract the desperate, mostly, but they don't necessarily end badly;

I believe there is in fact a set of Orks that can actually be hired out for merc duty and have worked with hummies before. Just can't seem to remember the name.

Blood Axes.

From what I gather, on the fringes of Imperial space it's probably a lot more common than you think.

The Imperium is really a sort of supra-organisation that exists above regional governmental structures, rather than a specific singular culture. Probably the closest analogue today would be the UN. It has its laws, but those laws are only enforced as strictly as its forces can police them, and its forces are stretched mighty thin in the year 40k. Below that, it's completely up to the 'local' government as to what they do.

As you get further and further from bastions of Imperial might, the biggest interaction your planet might have with 'The Imperium' is a tithe ship swinging by every century or so. On these worlds, I'd expect a more multi-cultural society to exist (this being 40k, 'multi-cultural' might mean that the bloke who's just shot you and taken your things has green skin rather than pink).

That's where the world of the Rogue Trader books exists. It's a frontier where the grimdark and only-war hasn't yet seeped. In those place, I can see legitimate trade with aliens taking place. Until an Inquisitor comes along and starts blamming people of course...

I thought rouge traders had a certificate of mark or what ever that allows them to trade with xenos

"Letter of Marque" equivalent, yes.
Some signed by the Emp himself whilst still a walking thing.
(the vagaries of how they work was covered in a BL novel - one of the "Shira Calpurnia" ones).

Like the privateers in the age of sail.

 Spinner wrote:
Officially, no. But there's exceptions to everything...

And one of those exceptions is people with the pay grade to know about xenos - Planetary Governors, Rogue Traders, Inquisitors, Chapter Masters and so on. While the offcial policy is "death to the alien" those with power and knowledge are (at least sometimes) willing to forget that if there's benefits to be had or needless losses to be avoided.