noncomerciable

Noncomerciable is an adjective used to describe goods, services, assets, or rights that are not subject to international or cross-border trade. In economic terminology, noncomerciable (or non-tradable) items are those that cannot be readily bought or sold on international markets, typically because transport costs, regulation, or local demand make cross-border exchanges impractical or uneconomical.

Noncomerciable sectors contrast with tradable sectors, where goods can be produced in one country and consumed in another. In macroeconomic models, the distinction between tradables and nontradables helps explain patterns in price formation and wage dynamics. Nontradables prices tend to reflect domestic factors such as local income and policy, while tradables respond more to international prices and exchange rates. The term is commonly used in discussions of exchange-rate determination, urban economics, and development economics.

Typical examples include many services (health care, education, personal care, professional services), local real estate, and other goods whose value is closely tied to location rather than to international markets. Regulatory restrictions, licensing requirements, or high transport costs can render some items effectively noncomerciable at scale, even when physical transfer is possible.

Etymology and usage notes: The word derives from the French comerciable meaning capable of commerce, with the prefix non- indicating negation. In English-language economics, the term is used to describe goods and services not traded internationally; the spelling non-tradable is also common.

See also: tradable goods; non-tradable; Balassa–Samuelson effect; cross-border trade.

---