Which of the Following Is One Important Consequence of the Move

Which of the following is one important consequence of the move from state-sponsored to private trade at the end of the first millennium B.C.E.?

A) Merchants no longer sold luxury goods across long distances, preferring to make their profits by smaller but more frequent sales of cheaper goods.
B) Rulers lost interest in building up the infrastructures of their territories, since they no longer profited directly from the actions of merchants.
C) In addition to luxury goods, which continued as an important part of long-distance trade, merchants began to transport and sell cheaper goods to a larger variety of people.
D) Pirates gained considerable strength as merchants lost the protection of strong rulers.