Black market

Illegal and clandestine market of products made unavailable by rationing. The disappearance of many rationed products from the official market saw their reappearance on the clandestine market at increased prices, set arbitrarily by the sellers, or black marketeers. The black market soon extended to all sectors, although the food sector was certainly the most active. The fascist authorities established strong sanctions and punishments but were unable to stem the problem. The partisans decided to fight the black market by requisitioning supplies of necessities and redistributing them to civilians.