The only thing that could end the (petro-)dollar would be the intro of Bankor for international trade.<p>Meaning that if US wanted to buy something off china, it would have to convert USD into Bankor, then buy whatever from China, that would then turn those Bankor into Renminbi (or hold them for more imports).<p>This would mean that a import heavy nation would find their Bankor exchange rate plummeting etc, potentially balancing out trade.<p>As long as the USD is the international trade currency, USA can always print to cover needs. This in contrasts to various historical death spirals where a lack of exports and a constant printing to cover foreign expenses ran the currency into the ground.