I agree with Avani that getting into QAR to buy items isn't much of an issue, but the way I see it that's the least useful service the base provides. Docking repairs your hull and the structure of your items, gives access to the vault, NPCs for missions, manufacturing terminals (especially useful for ammo), analyze terminals, vendors to sell loot. Basically it means you don't have to fly all the way to Prasad every time your hull gets full or you run out of ammo or you take too much damage, THAT'S where its main utility lies.
I don't think anyone believes that the RD gates are an exploit, I mean it's not a bug nor is them currently being open unintended.
Don't know about the numbers for trade runs but if they're true then by your own argument the main usefulness of the gates isn't for trade but to gain access to BBW's drone drops and the Controller raid which should take at least some amount of effort to gain access to just like DT does (maybe the fishbowl is supposed to as well only did it 2 or 3 times in live so can't really remember).
But even if those numbers are wrong and BBW is useful for trade runs then it should still take some effort since it's a shortcut which gives players an advantage, in the other two types of xp going to more effort reaps better rewards but in trade short-cuts to the route are the only reward I can think of that's currently in the game.
In combat the easiet route is to buy vendor weapons but they're not very good so people go to the effort of getting player made versions (usually having to collect the required components) often of weapons that are loot only (making them more difficult to get) because they're better and increase the amount of combat xp you can get in a given time. In mining it's easiest to go to fields that are marked on the map but they're often camped and not very good so people go looking for hidden orefields to increase their profit/explore xp. When warping around looking for the hidden navs gets you much more xp than if you had just followed what's on the map. But in trade there's no extra effort a player can go to that gives them any sort of advantage (again that I've been able to think of, let me know if you've got one).
In the end the entire game (and I guess most MMORPGs in general) is a big game of effort and reward, if you want the best items you have to go to raids and kill mobs with really low drop rates, if you want the best ore hauls you have to search vast areas for hidden fields (ok so most people know where they are, but apparently they're going to start to be moved around so you'll have to find them again), and to get the best trade runs you have to get cozy with the guys who know all the back doors.