By Rukesh Korde, Gretchen Hoff Varner and Michael Gaffney (July 24, 2017, 2:17 PM EDT) -- In today's globalized economy, American businesses recognize the value of investing in and trading with developing and emerging markets. International investment enables U.S. companies to access new customers and establish foreign affiliates. In fact, sales by foreign affiliates make up about 40 percent of U.S. multinational corporations' total sales. Worldwide international trade is critical to the U.S. economy. U.S. global exports, in 2016 alone, totaled more than $2.2 trillion. Exports to developing countries constitute more than half of that figure. Developing countries continue to spur most of the world's economic and population growth. Nigeria, for instance, will overtake the United States as the world's third most populous country. These developments mean that U.S. companies will become increasingly reliant on emerging economies....