MGT Only: Trade goods price modifiers question

[McPerth]

According MgT:CB page 163, the Price for buying goods is modified by adding the highest modifier for the trade codes the planet has, and by subtracting the higher modifier it would have to sell this same cargo.

In the case there are several modifiers, some positive and some negative, is the highest positive always used (as positive numbers are always higher than negative ones, at least in math) or the higher in absolute value?

E.g.: should you be in a sytem that is both asteroid belt and Low pop. You want to buy some radioactives there (always available in asteroid belt and in low pop systems¹). Is the buying modifier +2 (as Asteroid belt) or -4 (as Low pop)?

According to math, +2 is higher than -4, as told above, but if the intent is the largest modifier to be used, as is the most influential item in the transaction, -4 is larger modifier than +2...

Note 1: and, BTW, having 2 reasons for the system to have this specific cargo as always available trade goods, does it mean there are always 2 batches (so double quantity) available?

 

[CosmicGamer]

Typicaly I view the largest modifier as the furthest from norm. For this, -4 is a larger modifier than a -2 or a +2. For the mathematical, I guess you'd convert all modifies to a "whole number" and compare to determine the largest?

Please excuse this not well thought out option. Without reviewing the rules, off the top of my head, for others to analyze the usefulness of, what about combining the largest positive and negative modifier if both exist?

 

[jaggeh_ie]

This can be easily solved by saying
Shopping in the asteroids is harder due decentralized colonies, but the cargos are richer.(+2)
Shopping on the planet is easier because population would be more centralized but the cargos are poorer.(-4)