Trade rights?

[fester]

Is there any piont in offering trade rights to neutral factions. Is it beneficial to me also or is it just a nice way off staying friends with people?

[edyzmedieval]

Gives you a modest income bonus. Later on when you develop it can be beneficial.

[Quintus.JC]

Apart from the income bonus you get from trade, you would also improve your relation with that particular faction, albeit only slightly.

[A1_Unit]

It's worth it to get trade rights with every faction you can. :yes:

[Seabourch]

Yep. When you start a game, get trade rights with everyone you can make contact with. Boosts income though I don't by how much exactly until the bastards backstab you.

[Viking Prince]

Trade rights are only financially beneficial if you also trade. There are three means to gain from trade:

The easiest is direct trade crossing adjacent borders.
The next means is via ports.
The third is with your merchant on a trade resource.
Trade will occur whether you have trade rights or not, but the value of the trade rises with the rights.

The same means of benefiting from trade is also available to the AI factions, so if they do indeed benefit from trade, your relations should improve. I also believe the length of the existing trade relations affects your standing as well.

[Agent Miles]

When you grant trade rights to a faction, then your merchant units (and theirs) gain one third more florins from trading resources in that faction's territory. Settlements trade with the very next settlement that is connected to them by a road, or the nearest port. So London will never trade with Antioch. You can check each settlement menu to see where trade is going. Also, for every trade rights given out, you get 10 points towards earning a Merchant Guild for every one of your settlements. So if you grant enough of them, then all of your cities should qualify for guilds that will add to your trade income.