Answer:
Some information was missing, so I looked it up:
Should the devaluation take place, the reais is expected to remain unchanged for another decade.
Accepting this forecast as given, DP faces a pricing decision which must be made before any actual devaluation: DP may either 1) maintain the same reais price and in effect sell for fewer dollars, in which case Brazilian volume will not change or 2) maintain the same dollar price, raise the reais price in Brazil to compensate for the devaluation, and experience a 20% drop in volume. Direct costs in the U.S. are 60% of the U.S. sales price.
What would be the short-run (one-year) implication of each pricing strategy? Which do you recommend?
In the short run:
if you decide to keep the current price in reais, then your contribution margin per unit will decrease from $80 to $50. Total contribution from sales to Brazil will reduce from $4,000,000 to $2,500,000.
If you decide to increase the price in reais, then your contribution margin per unit will remain at $80, but your total sales will fall to 40,000. Total contribution margin from sales to Brazil will reduce from $4,000,000 to $3,200,000
Personally, I would recommend increasing the price since operating profits will reduce in a smaller proportion.
