If a Comparative Advantage Implies That a Country Can Produce

question 49

Essay

If a comparative advantage implies that a country can produce a product at a lower opportunity cost than another country then why do we see two countries often trading the same goods? For instance, for most agricultural products the U.S. has a comparative advantage. Japan, one of America's largest trading partners has a comparative advantage in the production of most economy cars. Explain what is going on here when we still see the U.S. exporting cars to Japan and the U.S. importing some foods from Japan.

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Definitions:

Interest Rate

The fee, represented as a percentage of the principal amount, levied by a lender on a borrower for the utilization of assets.

Yield Income

Income generated from investments that pay out returns, such as dividends from stocks or interest from bonds.

Investment Project

An initiative to allocate resources with the expectation of achieving future returns.

Present Discounted Value

The current worth of a future sum of money or stream of cash flows given a specified rate of return, used in discounting to calculate the present value of future earnings or obligations.