If you want to grow your civ in Civilization 7 then you need to learn how to boost your economy which is not possible without learning about trade routes. Most victory condition can only be met when you have a strong economy and have strong trade routes that lead to complete dominance.

Establishing trade routes increase influence and also help increase happiness levels because more goods, money, and business is coming into your civilization.

Let’s start with the basics first:

Trade Route Requirements

  • Age of Antiquity: Research the Code of Laws Civic.
  • Age of Exploration: Unlock the Economics Civic.
  • Modern Age: Research Steam Engine Technology.

To establish a trade route in Civilization VII, you must unlock and use Merchant units to connect your settlements with others. 

Check the Civic Tree and research Code of Laws Civic in the Age of Antiquity and when you are done researching it, you can either build or buy a Merchant unit. Keep in mind that you can’t establish a trade route if you have a bad relationship with the other nation’s leader or your merchants can’t reach the location physically.

Merchants become available for production/purchase in cities or towns after unlocking the relevant Civic or Tech. They cost ~400 gold if bought outright.

Tip: Build influence over hostile settlements by spreading your religion. Creating an opportunity to take and establish a trade route.

How to Establish and Build a Trade Route

Explore other leaders’ cities/towns or allied Independent Powers (if you’re their suzerain). Trading is impossible with hostile or warring factions.

Select the Merchant unit to see Potential Trade Routes and show the resources each settlement offers. Transport the Merchant to within the target settlement’s territory. This will likely take several round trips, as a function of distance.

When you get there, tap on the two arrows/plus sign icon to make the route. This consumes the Merchant.

Accrue resources to your cities/towns by type.

  • Empire Resources: Apply worldwide.
  • City Resources: Limited to city.
  • Bonus Resources: Flexible Allocation

Trading works best if you spend your Influence via the leader’s diplomacy menu to send additional Merchants to the same settlement. You also need to work toward improving your relationships with nations and leaders you want to trade with. Improving Trade Relations is easier than going to war.

But military units are needed to Protect trade routes as enemies can disrupt them.

Lastly, target settlements with rare or high-value resources to boost your civilization’s growth