Even though Tapanahony was isolated and generally neglected by the government, it was not completely self-sufficient. Trade was encouraged by both sides; article 7 of the Treaty can be regarded as a free-trade agreement. Between 1880 and 1930, the Ndyuka managed to gain a near monopoly on the freight trade between Albina, Suriname and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana in the north, and the Surinamese and French Guianese interiors in the south. In 1921, the Maroon Freighter Strike was called and lasted three months. The strike had serious economic consequences, and severely disrupted the Balatá and gold industry in both countries. Governor van Heemstra even threatened to end the autonomy of the Ndyuka over the strike.
