Fwiw, early game:
- Stand up domestic gravel production ASAP!! Construction is HUNGRY for the stuff!! Use it to produce concrete and asphalt domestically with imported cement & asphalt for a nice discount.
- Food, alcohol, and clothes, are WAY cheaper to produce domestically from imported crops, and clothing is an excellent early export with a huge profit margin.
- Bricks are cheaper to produce domestically from imported coal and ~2x more profitable to export back out.