Final answer:
Négociants are merchants or traders and comptoirs are trading posts historically significant in mercantilist economies for trade networking and commodity exchanges.
Step-by-step explanation:
Négociants are merchants or traders who specialize in the buying and selling of commodities, particularly in the wine industry. Comptoirs are trading posts or counters where these transactions occur, acting as places of commerce for various goods. In historical contexts, négociants and comptoirs often played central roles in mercantilist economies and the establishment of trade networks.
The concept of négociants and comptoirs can be traced back to different periods, including Roman times with the navicularii and in the early modern period with European trade in Africa and the Americas. For example, the etching of Colbert visiting the Gobelins factory represents a domestic form of these trading entities under mercantilist policy. Overseas, they were instrumental in securing raw materials through trade networks, including the infamous Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Feitorias, or factories, were similar to comptoirs, as they were established by the Portuguese along the West African coast to facilitate trade, including holding areas for slaves, which other European powers emulated. The role of négociants and comptoirs in mercantilist economies was pivotal, both in terms of enriching the home countries and extending their influence across the world.