"trade" for "business deal; transaction" in North American vernacular

Question

Harrap's New Shorter English-French Dictionary, Ed. 1982, states,

trade

[...]

2. (b) NAm (i) transaction (commerciale); (ii) clientèle f (d'une maison); carriage trade, grosse clientèle.

[...]

Now, looking up "transaction" in the French-English section of the dictionary, here's what it says:

transaction

n.f. 1. (a) Com: transaction; pl. dealings, deals.

[...]

Random House Webster's College Dictionary, Ed. 1991, supports that "transaction" sense of "trade."

trade

[...]

2. a purchase or sale; business deal or transaction.

[...]

My question is, is this usage of "trade" actually restricted to North American vernacular or has it since spread into other regions of the English speaking world?

In addition, can "trade" work fine as a substitute for "business transaction" in all senses of "a purchase or sale; business deal or transaction"?

Please, compare:

carriage trade: Wealthy, well-to-do, or upper-class customers receiving special treatment or the transactions conducted with them, as distinguished from the working class. Businesses catering to these customers sell high-end, or high-priced, goods and services and tend to offer amenities in their shops not ordinarily found in standard retailers or service providers. The term originally applied to rich theater patrons or store clients who traveled in private carriages.

-and-

carriage trade: Wealthy, well-to-do, or upper-class customers receiving special treatment or the trades conducted with them, as distinguished from the working class. Businesses catering to these customers sell high-end, or high-priced, goods and services and tend to offer amenities in their shops not ordinarily found in standard retailers or service providers. The term originally applied to rich theater patrons or store clients who traveled in private carriages.

Source: Business Dictionary

Answer 1

can "trade" work fine as a substitute for "business transaction" in all senses of "a purchase or sale; business deal or transaction"?

No.

carriage trade: Wealthy, well-to-do, or upper-class customers receiving special treatment or the transactions conducted with them,

In your examples, “transactions” is correct. If you use “trades” that suggests bartering in this context.

If you are talking specifically about one person dealing with one person, then “trade” suggests bartering, while “transaction” suggests that one person is paying cash and receiving a good or service in return. “Transaction” is very specific.

However, more broadly, you can talk about ”the sex trade,” “stock trading,” or “trade deals” and trade still works. Money is just one of the things being traded.

Answer 2

The short answer is no. In fact, Usage of the word trade in the sense of transaction is much more restricted in the North American vernacular than your dictionary suggests. (I am a native English speaker from the US.) It is typically limited to cases where things are bartered rather than simply sold or purchased, such as, "I'll trade you my antique clock for your bicycle," or with respect to the purchase or sale of stocks or commodities. The word would never be used the way you used it in your example.

Answer 3

I would suggest taking the phrase out and simply saying "customers receiving special treatment, as distinguished from the working class."