Increasingly, America’s economic preeminence in the world is challenged by other nations, including most notably China. In some cases, "economic espionage" is alleged when American trade secrets are taken abroad. Here’s an interesting story about DuPont’s trade secrets that were taken in the U.S. and, it was believed, bound for China:
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070302/NEWS/703020363/-1/NEWS01