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[PatrikLundell]

My first caravan arrived at the trade depot. Since I haven't produced anything to sell, I've just ignored it, and eventually I got the message that it was first close to leaving, and then leaving, but it isn't. The goods are still spread about the trade depot, one trader has hauled his horse up on the roof (from where there is no other exit than down the stairs he came up), and the other trader with a horse is just standing in the same spot (on top of a cage trap I've constructed while they were there [but it was designated before they arrived], but traders don't trigger traps). I've checked the 'D' path several times, and there is a clear path all the way to the map edge. I've done some wall building while they were at the depot, but I've checked with 'D' that I don't block the path, and the traders who only have animals should definitely be able to leave, even if I somehow has managed to block wagon access.
The kill list shows a wagon as "missing", although it might be my own, which I dismantled it to get room for the trade depot.

Any idea of why they won't leave?

[ptb_ptb]

The 'D' path thing is not 100% reliable. Wagons have trouble with sharp turns. Take down a few walls / obstacles along the edge of the route and they may find their way out.

[Thisfox]

Unfortunately, D for Depot isn't always as reliable as you might think (as ptb has said).

Trees can grow into the way, check none have just recently popped up. Refrain from building too much too close to the depot, it can be a problem. And the trap might be considered an obstacle which they can't path around if it's too sharp an angle. When they arrived it hadn't yet been built, right? It could be the problem. If all else fails, create for them an alternate route out.

...Don't disassemble the trade depot. They will loose their carts and leave with nothing, and be very upset about it.

[utunnels]

Fell trees and smooth boulders.

That is why I build a paved road sometimes: to make sure things don't grow back.

[Kraegan]

Are these wagons?  Stairways, traps, minecart tracks, trees and boulders will block them.  If they can't leave the rest of the caravan will stay as well and eventually go insane. 

[PatrikLundell]

I've looked for new trees, and haven't found any, nor should any grow up in the first half year of play, I think. Even if wagons were blocked, the animal pullers should still be able to leave (I remember having a lot of trouble with those when I tried to prevent a caravan from leaving my fortress and enter the maws of the siege showing up after they arrived, as they tried to sneak out the way I tried to lure the siegers into my trap corridor).

The trap finalized after they arrived follows my standard trade depot access design, so there is a 3 tile wide path, and the draft animals are able to traverse the traps during the turns; as long as the wagons don't have to cross traps it works well (I suspect walls rather than traps might be a problem).

Anyway, I scrapped the scenario and started a new one (where a caravan has both arrived and left successfully with an access path of the same design).

[Chaosegg]

Boulders and trees will block caravan wagons, and [I think] traps block the entire caravan.
I learned this the hard way in my current 40.19 fort.

[Thisfox]

Oh, traps definitely block the caravan. If they went over the trap on the way in, they might not have been able to calculate another path out when the trap was completed.

I guess it's all moot now though. Have fun!