Commerce routes in Civilization 7 are the way you’ll get entry to a different powers’ sources and the bonuses they offer you. You’ll have to arrange commerce routes in case you’re going for the Antiquity Age Financial Legacy Path and its milestones. It’s additionally key for securing an Financial Victory.
Our Civilization 7 information will let you know what you should analysis to unlock retailers and commerce routes, and easy methods to use the commerce sources you get from them.
Methods to unlock retailers in Civilization 7

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To arrange a commerce route, you’ll have to unlock retailers. Retailers are distinctive to every age, so that you’ll should unlock them 3 times over the course of a recreation:
- Within the Antiquity Age, you’ll discover them underneath Code of Legal guidelines within the Civic tree. You’ll have to analysis Mysticism and Self-discipline first.
- Within the Exploration Age, they’re underneath the Economics Civic node, one of many first choices you could have.
- Within the Fashionable Age, they’re unlocked by Steam Engine within the Tech tree, additionally one of many first choices.
When you’ve unlocked retailers (or your civilization’s model of retailers), you’ll want to coach them in a metropolis or city.
Methods to use retailers in Civilization 7
Retailers have two makes use of in Civilization 7: constructing roads and establishing commerce routes. Roads are a manner to your settlements on the identical continent to be linked collectively, velocity up journey between them, and share meals. Some settlements get linked by roads mechanically, however not all, and that’s while you’ll want a service provider.
Retailers additionally create roads between the settlements of two totally different civilizations while you use them to create a commerce route. Commerce routes are a option to import sources from different civilizations and (sure) impartial city-states.
Methods to set up a commerce route in Civilization 7
Step one in establishing a commerce route is discovering somebody to commerce with. You would ship out a service provider to wander aimlessly, however that is higher performed with a scout — the primary unit you must practice in each recreation anyway.
You’ll want to seek out another person’s city or metropolis. You possibly can’t commerce with city-states till they’re aligned with you and also you’re their suzerain.
And eventually, you’ll want a relationship of unfriendly or higher with whoever you need to commerce with. Mainly, you may’t actively be at battle with them.
When you’ve received somebody to commerce with — and also you’ve researched the mandatory Tech or Civic to unlock retailers — you’ll have to coach (or buy) a service provider. Retailers require about 40 Manufacturing to coach.

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When your service provider seems, you’ll get a pop-up with a listing of potential commerce companions and the improved sources these settlements have. You possibly can ship your service provider wherever you need, or you may click on on a settlement from the record to zoom the map to your vacation spot mechanically.

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Settlements you may create commerce routes with will likely be inexperienced and people you may’t will likely be pink (extra on this in a second). As soon as your service provider makes the journey to the settlement, you’ll get a brand new button that creates the commerce route.
On the following flip, you’ll be capable to assign the commerce sources you get from it to your settlements.
Why can’t I arrange a commerce route in Civilization 7
There are a number of causes you won’t be capable to arrange a commerce route, however most of them aren’t simple to determine by yourself. A variety of the time, it’s safer to imagine you can’t, and wait to your financial adviser pops in to let you know about a chance.

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First, you could have to have the ability to attain the settlement you’re buying and selling with both overland or by sea. And the gap to the settlement must be inside your most commerce route size. All of that’s affected by the Civics and Tech you analysis, your alternative of chief, your alternative of civilization, and what age you’re in. On the default, your most commerce route distance is fairly brief.
The settlement you’re attempting to commerce with additionally must have a commerce useful resource to present you. Sources — the square-ish icons on the map — are available in three sorts: Empire Sources (sources that keep inside your empire), Metropolis Sources (sources that may solely be assigned to cities), and Bonus Sources (sources that may be assigned to both cities or cities). Solely Metropolis and Bonus Sources can journey on a commerce route. What sort of useful resource one thing is doesn’t come up on the popup while you hover over the useful resource, although. As a basic rule, Empire Sources are issues that offer you Manufacturing bonuses to constructing buildings and wonders, and the opposite (trade-able) sources offer you bonuses to the opposite yields like Meals and Happiness.
Lastly, it’s a must to have an out there commerce route with the goal civilization’s chief. You begin with one commerce route per different chief.
Methods to make extra commerce routes in Civilization 7

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You’ll add commerce routes with the Enhance Commerce Relations Diplomatic Motion. Every time you do that, it instantly provides one attainable commerce route with that chief. The issue is which you could’t really see the variety of out there commerce routes. It’s simple to finish up with far more commerce routes than the opposite chief even has settlements.
For those who can, it’s higher to financial institution up some Affect and wait till you could have a service provider skilled. Whenever you see that there are not any routes out there to them (the cities are in pink), go Enhance Commerce Relations with who you need. It’s prompt, so that you’ll be capable to hop proper again to the service provider and arrange your new route.
For extra Civilization 7 guides, see our explainers on treasure fleets and distant lands. Plus, right here’s a listing of all victories and our suggestions for one of the best leaders to start out with.