When a country can produce something at a lower opportunity cost than another country, it has a(n)?
Answers
Answer:
Differences in factor endowments: Countries have different amounts of land, labor, and capital. Saudi Arabia may have a lot of oil, but perhaps not enough lumber. It will thus have to trade for lumber. Japan may be able to produce technological goods of superior quality, but it may lack many natural resources. It may trade with Indonesia for inputs.
Gains from specialization: Countries may gain economies of scale from specialization, experiencing long run average cost declines as output increases.
Political benefits: Countries can leverage trade to forge closer cultural and political bonds. International connections also help promote diplomatic (rather than military) solutions to international problems.
Efficiency gains: Domestic firms will be forced to become more efficient in order to be competitive in the global market.
Benefits of increased competition: A greater degree of competition leads to lower prices for consumers, greater responsiveness to consumer wants and needs, and a wider variety of products.
To summarize, international trade benefits mostly all incumbents and generates substantial value for the global econom