The strategy you describe, exporting paper currency in exchange for tangible goods is unstable. It is only viable if other countries are willing to accept your currency for goods. This cannot last forever since a Trade Surplus by your definition scams other countries, with real wealth exchanged for worthless paper. If Country A openly enacted this strategy Countries B, C, D, etcetera would realize that Country A’s currency can no longer be used to buy valuable goods and services from Country A. Countries B, C, D, etcetera would reroute trade amongst themselves, ridding themselves of the parasite Country A. Once this occurs, Country A’s trade surplus would disappear, leading to severe inflation caused by shortages and money printing.
Hence, a Trade Surplus can only be maintained if Country B, C, D, etcetera are coerced into using Country A’s currency. If Country B and C decided to stop using Country A’s currency, Country A would respond by bombing them to pieces and removing the leadership of Country B and C. Coercion allows Country A to maintain a Trade Surplus, otherwise known as extracting tribute, from other nations. If Country A does not have a dominant or seemingly dominant military, the modified strategy collapses.
I do not think America has a military capable of openly extracting a Trade Surplus from other countries. While America has the largest military on Earth, it is unable to quickly produce new warships, secure the Red Sea from Houthi attacks or produce enough artillery shells to adequately supply Ukraine. America’s inability to increase weapons production and secure military objectives now indicates that America cannot ramp up military production enough to fight another world war. If America openly decided to extract a Trade Surplus from other countries, a violent conflict would inevitably result. America is unlikely to win this conflict, so it should not continue to maintain a Trade Surplus.
The strategy you describe, exporting paper currency in exchange for tangible goods is unstable. It is only viable if other countries are willing to accept your currency for goods. This cannot last forever since a Trade Surplus by your definition scams other countries, with real wealth exchanged for worthless paper. If Country A openly enacted this strategy Countries B, C, D, etcetera would realize that Country A’s currency can no longer be used to buy valuable goods and services from Country A. Countries B, C, D, etcetera would reroute trade amongst themselves, ridding themselves of the parasite Country A. Once this occurs, Country A’s trade surplus would disappear, leading to severe inflation caused by shortages and money printing.
Hence, a Trade Surplus can only be maintained if Country B, C, D, etcetera are coerced into using Country A’s currency. If Country B and C decided to stop using Country A’s currency, Country A would respond by bombing them to pieces and removing the leadership of Country B and C. Coercion allows Country A to maintain a Trade Surplus, otherwise known as extracting tribute, from other nations. If Country A does not have a dominant or seemingly dominant military, the modified strategy collapses.
I do not think America has a military capable of openly extracting a Trade Surplus from other countries. While America has the largest military on Earth, it is unable to quickly produce new warships, secure the Red Sea from Houthi attacks or produce enough artillery shells to adequately supply Ukraine. America’s inability to increase weapons production and secure military objectives now indicates that America cannot ramp up military production enough to fight another world war. If America openly decided to extract a Trade Surplus from other countries, a violent conflict would inevitably result. America is unlikely to win this conflict, so it should not continue to maintain a Trade Surplus.