It is widely believed that International Commodity Agreements have lapsed because they have failed. The reality is more complex. The tin agreement did collapse, but for sugar and cocoa adverse market conditions and lack of general support made stabilization impractical. Control of the coffee market ceased largely because of disagreements both between and within the producing countries on the division of the benefits resulting from higher prices. Overall, commodity control fits uneasily in an increasingly globalized and competitive world, and this perception has resulted in a diminished willingness to resolve the practical difficulties of price stabilization.