bilateral trade

British

noun

a system of trading between two countries in which each country attempts to balance its trade with that of the other

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bilateral trade reached nearly $500 million in 2025 -- a substantial amount for the poorest country in Central Asia.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Bilateral trade is consistently robust; even after the Ladakh clash, China has been India's top trade partner.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2025

Bilateral trade surged to $98.8 billion last year, accounting for 17% of Malaysia’s global trade.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2024

Bilateral trade in 2022 amounted to just C$13.7 billion out of a total of C$1.52 trillion, according to Statistics Canada.

From Reuters • Sep. 18, 2023

Bilateral trade between Russia and Brazil reached record highs last year, mainly driven by Russian fertilizer, which sustains Brazil’s agricultural sector.

From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023