But even if the figure is too high by a factor of 10, the gain to China's steel industry would outweigh the projected costs to its airlines.

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The U.S. will remain the strongest driver but will need to find markets for selling more as well as buying. (Investment flows, and the strength of the dollar, will figure in this.) Another key factor will be China--how fast it integrates into the world trading system as a nation, and as 30-odd provinces and zones.

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Their competitors eventually will figure out that a distributed team is a big factor in why their rivals are achieving lower cost structures, higher profits, and a more contented workforce.

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