How to Use Merchants and Trade Routes in Civ 7
Image Credits: Firaxis Games
Merchants in Civilization 7 are like your empire’s traveling salesmen—except instead of selling vacuum cleaners, they’re securing trade routes and stacking up resources. If you’re low on gold, food, or other important materials, it might be time to send these economic powerhouses across the map. Here’s a guide to merchants and trade routes:
How to Get Merchants in Civilization 7
Before you can start raking in the profits, you need some Merchants. Here’s how to get them:
Reach the Antiquity Age – Around the halfway point, you’ll see a message called “Trade Opportunity.” This means it's time to get into the business of bartering.
Train a Merchant – Head to your city’s production menu and scroll down until you find Merchant. It takes around three or four turns to produce.
Buy One with Gold – If patience isn’t your strong suit, you can buy a Merchant for roughly 400 gold.
Merchants can be trained in cities or towns, so keep an eye on where you’re producing them for the best trade route access.
How to Establish Trade Routes
Merchants aren’t just for decoration—they need to establish trade routes to bring in the goods. Here’s how to get them moving:
Select Your Merchant – Click on your Merchant and check the map for available trade routes. The more cities and leaders you’ve discovered, the more options you’ll have.
Pick a Settlement – Choose a settlement with the most valuable resources or the ones you’re desperate for.
Right-Click on the Settlement’s Capital – This sends your Merchant on their way. Depending on the distance, it might take a few turns.
Merchants are smart enough to handle their journey without constant micromanagement, so you don’t need to move them manually every turn.
Expanding Your Trade Network
You’re not limited to just one trade route per city. If you want to send multiple merchants to the same settlement, you’ll need to:
Spend Influence – Go to the leader’s portrait and use Influence Points to open additional trade routes.
Check the Relationship Status – If the leader has a green number next to their portrait, they’re friendly. If it’s red, they’d rather not do business with you or they’re actively plotting your demise.
If a leader already dislikes you, don’t waste your time trying to trade with them. They’re just going to say no, and you’ll be left standing there with a Merchant and nowhere to go.
What to Do When Your Merchant Arrives
Once your Merchant reaches their destination, it’s decision time:
Establish a Trade Route – Click the “Trade” icon (two arrows and a plus sign). This locks in the trade agreement and starts bringing in resources.
Send the Merchant Elsewhere – If you’re feeling adventurous, you can send them to another city instead of setting up a trade deal. Not the best idea unless you really need to reach a better destination.
Merchants sent to Cities → The resources you receive can only be used in your cities.
Merchants sent to Towns → Bonus resources can be allocated anywhere in your empire.
If you’re not establishing trade routes, you’re just sending Merchants on expensive road trips for no reason.
Why You Should Always Have Active Merchants
Keeping a few Merchants working at all times is a solid strategy because:
More Resources – The more trade routes you set up, the stronger your economy.
Better Diplomatic Relations – Other leaders like it when you trade with them.
Bigger, Stronger Cities – More resources mean better stats for your settlements.
Instead of hoarding gold and waiting for resources to magically appear, start sending Merchants across the map and let them do the work for you.
Now go forth and make some deals—your civilization’s survival and wealth depend on it.
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