Question

Suppose the United States is currently producing 100tons of hamburgers and 45tons of tacos and Mexico is currently producing 20tons of hamburgers and 25tons of tacos. If the United States and Mexico each specialize in producing only one good​ (the good for which each has a comparative​ advantage), then a total of nothingadditional​ ton(s) of hamburgers can be produced for the two countries combined ​(enter a numeric response using an​ integer)

Answer 1

Answer: 50 additional tons of hamburgers

Explanation:

United States opportunity costs:

Hamburger opportunity cost = 45/100 = 0.45 tons of tacos

Taco opportunity cost = 100/45 = 2.22 tones of hamburgers

Mexico opportunity cost:

Hamburger opportunity cost = 25/20 = 1.25 tons of tacos

Taco opportunity cost = 20/25 = 0.8 tones of hamburgers

US should specialize in Hamburger production because they have a lower opportunity cost.

If both countries combined production of hamburgers then the total would be:

= 100 + 20

= 120 tons of hamburgers

There is missing information on this question which is the US production of hamburgers when it produces 0 tacos. We shall assume that number to be 170 tons of hamburgers.

The total additional tons produced would be:

= US tons when producing only hamburgers - Combined hamburger production

= 170 - 120

= 50 additional tons of hamburgers