A trading nation, also known as a trading hub, is a nation where international commerce makes up a high percentage of its gross domestic product. For most of the developed world this means that we are the largest consumers of goods and services in the world. If you have been living in a cave for the past 10 years, you would probably be shocked to learn that this is not always the case. In fact, the United States of America is by far the largest consumer of goods and services in the entire world. More than five percent of the gross national product comes from the goods and services we buy and sell on an annual basis.
When it comes to being a Trading Nation or a Trading Hub, the United States of America certainly fits into the top ten. We are number one because we are the largest exporter in the world. If you consider the services and products that are traded and the dollars that are spent on those products, you quickly see that the U.S. economy is the largest exporter of goods in the world. This is certainly good news for American businesses and consumers alike. But did you know that the U.S. economy is also the largest exporter of items that are manufactured in the United States?
The world’s largest exporter of manufactured goods is a company that you may have heard of before: Ford Motors. Ford Motors was founded in Detroit, Michigan and is one of the largest manufacturers in the world. In the world of global trade, Ford Motors is definitely a company that you want to have a look at when you are thinking about getting products made in the United States. Globalization has caused us to open our arms to other nations and foreign markets. And we as the United States of America have embraced that global trend with both hands.
Globalization also means that we as consumers have a wider selection of products to choose from. With our expansive network of international shipping brokers and customs agents, we can purchase all kinds of things from all kinds of places. But did you know that the United States is not the only trading nation in the world? We are actually second only to China when it comes to the global export of manufactured goods. So while it may be true that the U.S. leads the pack when it comes to trading internationally, the truth is that other nations have been doing it longer than we have.
Now, let’s think about this for a minute. When we are sitting here talking about “free trade” and the US, do we really believe that you should open up your home country to any other nation that wishes to do business with us? Do we believe in global free trade? If we do, why are we allowing people like Mexico to come into the United States to work for big corporations? Why are we not letting the Chinese manufacturers come to the United States to sell us their products?
Well, I can tell you that these are the types of things that we as a nation need to consider before we continue on our endless path of globalism. You see, there are too many nations and too many different cultures, products, and people who want to do business with us. It is simply not efficient for the American people to allow the Chinese manufactures to come here to take advantage of us. It is not efficient for the Chinese to build big factories in the United States to make our products. It simply makes no sense whatsoever, and we are way past just saying “no” to trade deals any more.