The British blockade of 1914 cut Germany off from its global value chains. While German planners had to develop new concepts to replace various imported goods, the embargo revealed the dependence of modern economic production on some strategic commodities. In particular, the supply of rubber, a vital raw material for many military and civilian products, posed serious problems for planners. However, conflicts over dependence on strategic commodities did not end with the lifting of the blockade. Instead, they dominated the interwar period on a global scale. This article will examine these interwar conflicts of commodities in the case of rubber. It will therefore examine the immediate response of German officials and businessmen to the blockade in the rubber sector. The second part focuses on the long-term consequences of the blockade from a global perspective. In addition to Germany, the United States experienced similar problems of dependence in the rubber market. From the perspective of global value chains, the article shows the enormous impact of the blockade on states and business and their efforts to control global markets. While substitutes such as synthetic rubber played an important role, international cooperation was another factor in securing the global supply of goods.