Question

Look at Exercise 19.2. Compute the opportunity costs of producing sweaters and wine in both France and Tunisia. Who has the lowest opportunity cost of producing sweaters and who has the lowest opportunity cost of producing wine? Explain what it means to have a lower opportunity cost.

Answer 1

Answer:

Answer Illustration : Opportunity Cost of producing Wine is lesser in France, Opportunity Cost of producing Sweaters is lesser in Tunisia. So, France has comparative advantage in Wine, Tunisia in Sweater.

Explanation:

Opportunity Cost is the cost of next best alternative foregone while choosing an alternative.

Opportunity Cost of producing Sweaters & Wine in France & Tunisia are quantities of other goods (Sweaters or Tunias) sacrifised while choosing either. Sweater Opportunity Cost - Wines sacrifised, Wine Opportunity Cost - Sweaters sacrifised.

The country has a comparative advantage in a good if it can produce it with relatively less opportunity cost (in terms of other good sacrifised) than other country.

Ex : Production Possibilities

                   Wine            Sweater    Trade off (Wine :Sweater)

France          10                   5              1:0.5  or 2:1

Tunisia          8                   24              1:3  or 0.33:1

• France produces Wine with lesser opportunity cost (sweater sacrifised) than Tunisia  [0.5 sweater < 3 sweaters] ; it has comparative advantage in Wine.
• Tunisia produces Sweater with less opportunity cost (wine sacrifised) than France [ 0.33 wine <  2 wines] ; it has comparative advantage in Tunisia