World Order · Board game rules
How does trading work between players?
Quick answer
During Trade, spend Export/Import transactions (per your Trade Deals card) to sell resources from allied Countries or buy resources from other players' boards or face-up Commerce cards, paying/earning money accordingly.
Details
The Trade action lets you perform a set number of Export and Import transactions, as listed on your Trade Deals card (2 or 3 of each) [p.13 — Trade (Economic)]. Each resource type can only be used in one transaction per Trade action — you can't Export and Import the same resource type in the same action [p.13 — Trade (Economic)].
To Export, choose a resource type and count how many times its symbol appears on the bottom-large section of your allied Country cards (ready or exhausted doesn't matter); you may sell up to that many, earning money per the Export gain table [p.13 — Trade (Economic)]. To Import, count the small "arrow toward you" symbols on your allied Countries plus your Trade Deals card (representing purchases from other players), and you may buy up to that many, paying the Import cost [p.13 — Trade (Economic)].
When importing from another player, that player cannot refuse the transaction. If they have a face-up Commerce card showing that resource, they flip it face down and give you the resource, and you pay them the money directly. If they don't have a matching face-up Commerce card but have the resource available on their board, they give it to you from their stock instead, reducing their quantity. If they have neither, you simply cannot buy that resource from them [p.13 — Trade (Economic)]. Money paid to Import from allied Countries goes to the Supply, but money paid to Import from another player goes directly to that player [p.13 — Trade (Economic)].
If you end up importing from one or more other players during a Trade action, you gain 1 Diplomacy (🏠) regardless of how many transactions or players were involved [p.13 — Trade (Economic)]. Note that Russia's Commerce cards list 3 of a resource each; you can buy fewer than 3, but you only gain the Diplomacy bonus if you buy all 3 [p.13 — Trade (Economic)].
Watch out: In 2- or 3-player games, you can still trade with powers not controlled by an actual player — their resources are always considered available, but you do not gain the 1 Diplomacy bonus from those transactions [p.13 — Trade (Economic)].