Exercise 04: David Ricardo's Theory of Comparative Advantage in International Trade

(1)

Country Available man-hours Industrial Goods

(Cost per unit, man hours)

Stone-age Goods

(Cost per unit, man hours)

England 270 15 30
Portugal 180 10 15

 

(2)

Country Production before trade
  Industrial Goods Stone-age Goods
England 8 5
Portugal 9 6
Total 17 11

 

(3)

Now let's imagine that both countries specialize:

Country Production after trade
  Industrial Goods Stone-age Goods
England 18 0
Portugal 0 12
Total 18 12

What has happened to world production as a whole as a result of specialization?    _Increased_________