Trade in the Early Middle Age was between neighbors and people abroad, that led to development of trade routes and trade alliances. Due to non-economic influences, culture and religion was shared in the region. The early middle age trade significantly led to development of society through advantages of trade relations through the use of commercial routes.
The late middle age was characterized with the growth of trade and towns. There was emergence of trade routes for international trading especially in Venice and Genoa. Trading spread from Italy to Northern Europe first by following the rivers and then by ship along the coastline. In addition to that, the crusaders caused an increase in the demand for trade because the Muslims in the East were in demand of products from Europe such as timber, grain, wool, wine, oils and leather.