BILATERAL: An action, often used in terms of an international trade agreement, that mutually affects two parties. As such, a bilateral trade agreement is one negotiated by two countries. For example, the United States might enter into a bilateral agreement with Germany over car sales, such that each agrees to restrict the number of imports from the other. Compare multilateral, unilateral. See also | foreign trade | import | export | multilateral | unilateral | GATT | NAFTA |
