Final answer:
China is the nation that has significantly increased its role in international trade, experiencing considerable economic growth by doing so. Other nations like Japan, South Korea, and India have also prospered by engaging actively in global markets. Nations that reduce trade barriers and participate in international trade tend to see economic benefits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nation that has greatly increased its role in international trade in recent years is China. As Benjamin Franklin rightly pointed out, no nation has been ruined by trade, and China's economic success story supports this notion. By removing barriers to trade and strategically aligning its economy towards global markets, China has experienced significant economic growth. Moreover, other countries like Japan, South Korea, and India have also followed a similar path to prosperity by harnessing the advantages of trade. It is evident that nations participating in international trade can potentially see vast improvements in their economies, as has been demonstrated by these economic success stories.
Notable increases in trade importance are observed, with world output rising considerably and total exports expanding even more dramatically. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) symbolizes an agreement among large economies—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—to reduce trade barriers, further highlighting the global trend towards embracing international trade.