Japan is an exporting country. It is similar to Britain in this respect. It is important to note that Japan and Britain have some things in common. Both are small island countries. Both countries depend a great deal on trade for their economy. The US is not an exporting country, nor is Canada. Both the US and Canada do export products, but exporting is not emphasized as much as it is in Japan and England. The US and Canada are not islands and neither country is lacking in natural resources. As a result, the US and Canada are mainly importing countries. There is a big difference between an exporting country and an importing country. Exporting countries face serious difficulties when the economy is bad. Of course, importing countries suffer, too, but when the economy is bad the exporting countries are in a worse position. Because they depend upon exports for their livelihood, when the economy is bad, importing countries will buy less and then the exporting countries find it very difficult to make more money. Usually, exporting countries have to wait until the economy is improved to regain a strong economic position.