Answer:
Italy has a comparative advantage in the production of cheese.
Germany has a comparative advantage in the production of rye.
5 bushels of rye
1/10 pound of cheese
6 bushels of rye per pound of cheese
7 bushels of rye per pound of cheese
Explanation:
Italy: 1 pound of cheese = 5 bushels of rye
Germany: 1 pound of cheese = 10 bushels of rye
Therefore, the opportunity cost of producing one pound of cheese in Italy is lower than the cost of producing one pound of cheese in Germany, which means that Italy has a comparative advantage in the production of cheese. The opposite can be said about rye since it costs the Germans only half a pound of cheese to produce 5 bushels of rye, while it costs the Italians a whole pound. Therefore, Germany has a comparative advantage in the production of rye.
This means that Italy can gain from specialization if it gains more than 5 bushels of rye for each pound of cheese.
As for Germany, can gain from specialization if it gains more than 1/10 pound of cheese for each bushel of rye.
Therefore, from the alternatives presented, the following would represent a gain from trade for both countries:
6 bushels of rye per pound of cheese
7 bushels of rye per pound of cheese
