International trade brings many important benefits that help countries grow and succeed. Let's break down some of these benefits:

1. More Customers:

   • Trade allows businesses to sell their products to people in different countries. For example, in 2020, the U.S. sold over $1.6 trillion worth of goods to other nations. That's a lot of customers!

2. Making More for Less:

   • When businesses can sell in bigger markets, they can produce more goods at once. This often means that the cost of making each item goes down. For example, a company might spend $10 to make one item when they only produce 100 items. But if they make 1,000 items, that cost might drop to just$7 for each item.

3. Better Use of Resources:

   • Countries can focus on making things they are really good at. This way, they can use their resources more wisely. The World Trade Organization says that if countries worked together and lowered trade barriers, the global economy could grow by almost $3 trillion!

4. New Ideas and Choices:

   • When companies see competition from other countries, they often come up with new ideas to stay ahead. For example, in the U.S., the number of patents—ideas for new inventions—more than doubled from 1990 to 2020. This shows how competition can lead to more creativity.

5. More Jobs:

   • Trade can also help create jobs. In 2020, around 41 million jobs in the U.S. were made possible because of exports—that's a lot of people who benefited from international trade!

In short, international trade helps countries grow by providing more customers, lowering costs, using resources better, encouraging new ideas, and creating jobs.