In order for international trade to take place, a country’s demand for a good or service must exceed the quality or volume that the domestic industry can provide. As such, trade is at its highest when demand is highest, such as during economic booms, and at its lowest when demand is lowest, such as during recessions. This held during 2009 when the global financial crisis triggered a worldwide recession. Consumers and businesses around the world cut back their demand for goods and services, which triggered total trade to drop 19.8% in 2009 and caused nearly $4 trillion in trade to disappear.