The Cost of Isolation

  The balance of trade with America's neighbors to the north and south is some $10 billion in favor of the U.S.  Therefore, erecting walls and isolating America would be an economic disaster.
   Canada and Mexico together account for $652.6 billion worth of exports to those nations yearly, while $641.9 billion worth is imported, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
   Meanwhile, the overall international deficit of American trade worldwide fell by 7.4 percent in July, to $41.9 billion, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Exports rose 0.4 percent in July to $188.5 billion, while imports dropped 1.1 percent to $230.4 billion.
   In addition, one third of all the people in the world live in just two countries -- China and India, the Census report said. The world's total population is 7.2 billion, with 1.37 billion people living in China, followed by 1.2 billion in India. The U.S. is a distant third, with a population of 321 million.
   American exports to Mexico totaled $240.2 billion in value, second only to Canada, where $312.4 in exports were shipped. Exports to China were third, at $123.7 billion.
   Imports from China totaled $466.8 billion, the government data showed, followed by Canada, at $347.8 billion and Mexico, at $294.1 billion.
   Therefore, antagonizing either neighbor and paralyzing international trade with them would lead to a serious economic downturn that could easily trigger a worldwide depression.