John Keeps Beehives and Sells 100 Quarts of Honey Per

question 112

Essay

John keeps beehives and sells 100 quarts of honey per month. The honey market is perfectly competitive, and the price of a quart of honey is $10. John has an average variable cost of $5 and an average fixed cost of $3. At 100 quarts per month, John's marginal cost is $10.
a) Is John maximizing his profit? If not, what should John do?
b) Calculate John's total revenue, total cost, and total economic profit or economic loss when he produces 100 quarts of honey.

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Definitions:

Protectionist Argument

The rationale for implementing trade barriers, such as tariffs and quotas, to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.

Dumping

Selling goods in a foreign market at a price below the cost of production or below the price in the home market, often to gain market share.

American Firms

Companies that are based in the United States and subject to U.S. laws and economic policies.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

The international agreement reached in 1947 in which 23 nations agreed to eliminate import quotas, negotiate reductions in tariff rates, and give each other equal and nondiscriminatory treatment. It now includes most nations and has become the World Trade Organization.