copyright © 2008 pearson addison-wesley. all rights reserved. chapter 33 the gains from...

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Addison-Wesley. All rights reserved.

Chapter 33

The Gains from International Trade

33-2Copyright © 2008 Pearson Addison-Wesley. All rights reserved.

In this chapter you will learn to

1. Explain why the gains from trade depend on the pattern of comparative advantage.

2. Describe the effects of factor endowments and climate on a country’s comparative advantage.

4. Describe some of the reasons why countries export certain goods and import others.

3. Explain the relationship between the law of one price and trade patterns.


Figure 33.1 The Growth in World Trade, 1950–2005


Figure 33.2 U.S. Exports and Imports of Goods by Industry, 2005


Interpersonal, Interregional, and International Trade

Without trade, people must be self-sufficient.

With trade, people can specialize efficiently and satisfy other needs by trading.

This basic principle is true for individuals, regions, and countries:

the gains from trade

The Gains from Trade


One country has an absolute advantage in the production of a specific product if, relative to another country, it can produce one unit of the product using fewer resources.

Illustrating the Gains from Trade

Table 33.1 Absolute Costs and Absolute Advantage


One country has a comparative advantage in the production of a specific product if, relative to another country, its opportunity cost for producing the product is lower.

Table 33.2 Opportunity Costs and Comparative Advantage


World production of all products can be increased if each country specializes in producing the goods for which it has a comparative advantage.

Table 33.3 The Gains from Specialization


Figure 33.3 The Gains from Trade with Constant Opportunity Costs

Canada specializes in wheat, the EU specializes in cloth.

consumption possibilities increase in both countries


Conclusions about Gains from Trade

1. If Country A has a comparative advantage in one product then it must have a comparative disadvantage in another.

2. The opportunity cost of one product is not its absolute cost, but the amount of output of other products that must be sacrificed.

3. When opportunity costs are the same in all countries, there are no gains from specialization and trade.

4. When opportunity costs differ across both countries, global production can be increased by reallocating resources.


EXTENSIONS IN THEORY 33.1

The Gains from Trade Without Complete Specialization

Gains from Trade Without Complete Specialization


The Gains from Trade with Variable Costs

Additional gains from trade may be possible:

Economies of scale:

International trade allows small countries to produce high enough levels of output to reap the available scale economies.

Learning by doing:

Costs may fall as production experience increases.


Figure 33.4 Economics of Scale versus Learning by Doing

Scale economies are shown by the downward sloping LRAC curve.

Learning by doing implies that LRAC curves shift down as experience increases.


Sources of Comparative Advantage

Factor endowments. Countries have the CA in products that use their abundant resources relatively intensively.

Climate. Variation in national climates affects comparative advantages. Climate can be considered a “special” factor of production.

Acquired. Comparative advantage can be acquired or lost over time. It is a dynamic concept.


Contrasting Views

The traditional view: A government should encourage specialization of production in goods for which it currently has a comparative advantage.

• each country should specialize in a relatively narrow range of distinct products.

The modern view: If comparative advantage can be acquired, it can also be lost.

• each country should innovate and adopt the latest technologies


The Determination of Trade Patterns

The Law of One Price

- when an easily transported product is internationally traded, arbitrage guarantees a single world price

Compare the world price with the U.S. domestic price:

1. If pw > pd U.S. exports the product

2. If pw < pd U.S. imports the product


Figure 33.5 An Exported Good

Countries export goods whose world price exceeds the domestic price.

Countries export the goods for which they are low-cost producers.


Figure 33.6 An Imported Good

Countries import products whose world price is less than the domestic price.

Countries import goods for which they are high-cost producers.


Is Comparative Advantage Obsolete?

The theory that comparative advantage determines trade flows is not obsolete.

But the idea that comparative advantage is completely determined by forces beyond the reach of public policy has been discredited.

Although governments may influence patterns of comparative advantage, it is not necessarily advisable:

- compare the costs of trade-related policies with their likely benefits


The division of the gains from trade depends on the terms of trade.

The terms of trade are measured by the ratio of the price of exports to the price of imports.

The Terms of Trade

Terms of Trade = Index of Export Prices

Index of Import Pricesx 100


Figure 33.7 A Change in the Terms of Trade


A rise in the index:

country gets more imports per unit of exports

a favorable change for the country

A fall in the index:

country gets fewer imports per unit of exports

an unfavorable change for the country

A Change in the Terms of Trade


Figure 33.8 U.S. Terms of Trade, 1961–2006

copyright © 2008 pearson addison-wesley. all rights reserved. chapter 33 the gains from...

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