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 fell from $17 billion in 2018–19 to $1.7 billion in 2024–25, according to India's commerce department.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Bilateral trade is worth billions of dollars, and Canada is home to nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024

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 has exceeded $6 billion since 2020, according to Israeli government data.

From Reuters • Nov. 11, 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