Question

Suppose that a worker in Caninia can produce either 2 blankets or 8 meals per day, and a worker in Felinia can produce either 5 blankets or 1 meal per day. Each nation has 10 workers. For many years, the two countries traded, each completely specializing according to their respective comparative advantages. Now war has broken out between them and all trade has stopped. Without trade, Caninia produces and consumes 10 blankets and 40 meals per day and Felinia produces and consumes 25 blankets and 5 meals per day. The war has caused the combined daily output of the two countries to decline by:

Answer 1

Answer:

15 blankets; 35 meals

Explanation:

First, we compute Opportunity Cost (OC).

In Caninia,

OC of blanket = 8/2 = 4 meals

OC of meals = 2/8 = 0.25 blanket

In Felinia,

OC of blanket = 1/5 = 0.2 meals

OC of meals = 5/1 = 5 blanket

Since Felinia can produce blankets at lower OC (0.2 < 4), so

Felinia has comparative advantage and specializing in blankets.

Total blankets produced with trade = 5 x 10

                                                           = 50

Since Caninia can produce meals at lower OC (0.25 < 5), so

Caninia has comparative advantage and specializing in meals.

Total meals produced with trade = 8 x 10

                                                       = 80

After trade,

Total blankets produced = 10 + 25

                                         = 35

Decrease in blanket output = 50 - 35

                                              = 15

Total meals produced = 40 + 5

                                     = 45

Decrease in meals output = 80 - 45

                                            = 35