How to out produce those minor civs

You have to micromanage your empire early on and run your economy on a razor's edge. Keep your social spending at a minimum, if not zero, and balance your military and research spending so there is minimal overflow waste. Aim for Diplomacy first so you can make the switch to republic and go for Basic Environment Control next. Pick two of your best colonies and set them on Diplomatic Translators and Aphrodisiacs, then pump your social spending to the max until the Diplomatic Translators are finished at least. The only other set of trade goods you really have to worry about are the Frictionless Clothing and Tri-Strontium Steel under Nano Metal Composition. It generally takes another year or two before the minors will start working on those, so you should have plenty of time to prepare for that.

Or just let the minors build them and trade tech for them later. Minors always seem to lag in the tech department, and are more than willing to hand you a trade good for 10-12 techs.

~SDC~

The value of a trade good isn't mainly from its bonuses. It's from your ability to sell it to keep your economy going in high gear *and* your ability to limit access.

~SDC~

Why obtain trade goods from minors with your hard earned tech when you can build it yourself and make them pay oodles of cash for both it and your techs?