Elon Musk, Jensen Huang and Tim Cook are set to dine with Xi this week. Here’s what their companies want from China.

International economic policy has concrete impacts far beyond diplomatic circles. Tariffs show up in the price of goods at stores, supply chain disruptions affect whether products are on shelves, and trade tensions can mean job losses in export-dependent industries. The globalized economy means that decisions made abroad can affect workers and consumers domestically.

Corporate decisions reverberate through local communities—a merger might mean headquarters relocating, a restructuring could eliminate jobs, and strategic shifts affect suppliers and service providers in countless towns. Behind quarterly earnings numbers are real employment decisions, investment choices, and community impacts that shape the economic landscape of regions across the country.

The implications extend beyond the immediate news cycle. Every economic development creates ripples that affect employment, prices, and opportunities in ways that may not be immediately visible but are deeply felt. By tracking these connections, we can better understand how the economy truly works—not as an abstract machine, but as a human system shaped by and shaping the lives of millions.