- Market size. The United States, Germany, China and Japan are the world's largest importers and consequently the world's largest economies. In recent years Germany overtook the traditional position of the world's largest exporter held by United States over the last 50 years. The integration of China to the global economy has been accompanied by a growing level of participation to trade both in absolute and relative terms, improving the rank of China from the 7th largest exporter in 2000, to the third largest in 2005 and finally to the largest in 2008, supplanting the United States and Germany.
- Trade imbalances. Some countries, notably the United States, the United Kingdom and France, have significant trade deficits which are reflected in their balance of payments. This aspect is dominantly linked with service and technology-oriented economies that have experienced a relocation of labor-intensive production activities to lower costs locations. They are highly dependent on the efficient distribution of goods and commodities. Conversely, countries having a positive trade balance tend to be export-oriented with a level of dependency on international markets either for merchandises or commodities. Germany, South Korea and China are among the most notable examples of countries dependent on merchandises exports (cars, electronics, apparel, etc.). China has a positive trade balance, but most of this surplus concerns the United States. It maintains a negative trade balance with many of its partners, especially resources providers (e.g. Australia). The Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia are examples of countries highly dependent of the exports of commodities, particularly petroleum, to maintain the sharp positive trade balance.