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3.1 - TheGains From Trade Practice Activity
3.1 - TheGains From Trade Practice Activity
Country A 10 15
Country B 15 30
1. Which country has an absolute advantage in each good? Explain how you determined
your answer:
a. Smartphones
b. Apples
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2. Assume each country used all its resources to produce one good. Calculate the
opportunity cost in terms of the other good when
a. Country A produces nothing but
i. Smartphones:
ii. Apples:
b. Country B produces nothing but
i. Smartphones:
ii. Apples:
3. Based on your calculations, which country has the comparative advantage in each
good?
a. Smartphones?
b. Apples?
Introduction to theory: The principle of trade based on comparative advantage states that if
countries allocate their resources towards the production of the good for which they have a
comparative advantage over other nations, and trade with one another, the total output of goods
across countries will be greater and resources will be used more efficiently than if each country
tried to produce everything for itself.
On a very simple level, when examining the production of two goods by two countries, we can
apply this principle to determine who should specialize in and export each good.
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4. Apply the principle of trade based on comparative advantage to Countries A and B
above. Who should specialize in and export:
a. Smartphones?
b. Apples?
5. The tables below represent alternative combinations of output of smartphones and
apples between Countries A and B. For each, determine the pre-trade opportunity cost
of smartphones (s) and apples (a).
a. Scenario 1
Assume the # of resources is fixed Smartphones (millions) Apples (millions of bushels)
Country A 5 5
Country B 8 4
Country A: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country B: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country that should export smartphones: _____________________
Country that should export apples: _____________________
b. Scenario 2
Assume the # of resources is fixed Smartphones (millions) Apples (millions of bushels)
Country A 20 60
Country B 20 50
Country A: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country B: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country that should export smartphones: _____________________
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Country A 20 8
Country B 18 9
Country A: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country B: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country that should export smartphones: _____________________
Country that should export apples: _____________________
d. Scenario 4
Assume the # of resources is fixed Smartphones (millions) Apples (millions of bushels)
Country A 12 24
Country B 24 32
Country A: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country B: 1a = _____ b 1b = _____ a
Country that should export smartphones: _____________________
Country that should export apples: _____________________
Introduction to theory: When a country specializes in the good for which is has the lower
opportunity cost and trades for the other, the country stands to gain from trade. This results from
the fact that through trade, the country should be able to get the other good (that it is not
producing) at a lower opportunity cost than it would have faced by producing it domestically.
The potential gains from trade can be illustrated in a PPC diagram.
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6. Use the data in the original table to create a “pre-trade” PPC for both Countries A and B.
Assume the # of resources is fixed Smartphones (millions) Apples (millions of bushels)
Country A 10 15
Country B 15 30
Explain your graphs:
Theory, continued: To show the potential gains from trade on the PPC, assume that each
country specialized in and exported the good you determined it should in #4. Next, assume
each country could now trade with the other for the good it produces, and import that good at an
opportunity cost equal to that achieved in the other country. Now, if a country produced the
maximum amount of the good in which it has a comparative advantage in, how much of the
other good could it potentially consume if it traded all of its output for the other good.
7. Below, calculate how much of the other country’s output A and B could potentially import
based on one another’s opportunity costs.
a. Country A will specialize in _________________ and will produce _______ units.
If it traded all of its output for Country B’s good at the Country B’s opportunity
cost, it could import a maximum of _______ units of ________________.
b. Country B will specialize in _________________ and will produce _______ units.
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If it traded all of its output for Country A’s good at the Country A’s opportunity
cost, it could import a maximum of _______ units of ________________.
c. Illustrate the potential gains from trade on both country’s PPCs
Introduction to theory: The gains from trade can also be illustrated in a supply and demand
diagram for a particular good. Assume that country A exports smartphones and imports apples.
The apple industry in Country A will be relatively small since apples can be produced more
cheaply abroad, and the smartphone industry will be relatively large since smartphones are
exported to other countries. Below are the markets for smartphones and apples in Country A,
assuming the country’s markets are open to trade.
In the graphs above, we can see the gains from trade for Country A in both markets:
● Smartphone manufacturers gain from trade because the demand for smartphones from
the rest of the world (Drow) is greater than demand domestically (Dd). Therefore, they
are able to export Qd-Qs smartphones at the world price (Prow), enjoying a larger area
of producer surplus (green triangle).
● Apple consumers gain from trade because the supply of apples from the rest of the world
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(Srow) is greater than domestic supply (Sd). Therefore, they are able to import Qs-Qd
apples at the world price (Prow), enjoying a larger area of consumer surplus (green
triangle)
Practice: Answer the questions below to demonstrate your knowledge of the gains from trade in
supply and demand diagrams.
1. Based on the production possibilities table in Scenario 4 above, illustrate the potential
gains from trade for the the country that will export apples and the country that will import
smartphones
2. Who are the “winners” of free trade in
a. The country that exports apples? Explain.
b. The country that imports smartphones? Explain.
3. Who are the “losers” of free trade in both countries?
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4. Referring to the microeconomic concept of total welfare, describe the impact that free
trade has on the countries that participate in it.
5. Why might governments be reluctant to open all their markets to free trade?