The U.S. Economy Needs China. And Japan. And Nigeria. And El Salvador

Can the U.S. economy thrive while others dive? The answer used to be “of course.” Now it’s “maybe.” The U.S. now depends more on what happens abroad because exports account for a bigger share of total U.S. output. If other countries can’t afford to buy U.S. exports, then jobs in export-oriented businesses are at risk.