This passage and table describe the opportunity costs faced by two countries.
1 The countries of Grand Coast and Toland are trading partners. The two main goods
traded are timber and fish. Every year the ministers of trade from each country
attend an international conference to discuss issues related to foreign trade and
decide how each country should specialize. The table provides economic data for
one year.
Which policy would be most effective to increase Grand Coast's comparative advantage over Toland?
Encourage more workers to pursue fishing.
By increasing the number of workers in the fishing industry, Grand Coast can enhance its output of fish, which improves its comparative advantage relative to Toland. This specialization allows Grand Coast to focus resources on producing goods where it has a lower opportunity cost, leading to more efficient trade and economic gains.
Raising taxes on factories and mills could decrease production efficiency and profitability, discouraging investment and reducing overall output. This policy would likely hinder Grand Coast's ability to compete effectively in both timber and fish production, thus undermining any potential comparative advantage.
This option directly enhances Grand Coast's comparative advantage. By reallocating labor towards fishing, the country can produce more fish at a lower opportunity cost compared to Toland, thus strengthening its position in trade. This specialization aligns with the principle of comparative advantage, leading to greater economic efficiency and benefits from trade.
While infrastructure spending can be beneficial in the long term, it does not directly target the immediate enhancement of comparative advantage in trade. Maintaining spending might improve the overall economy, but without a focus on specific industries like fishing, it won't effectively increase Grand Coast's competitive edge over Toland.
Improving technology in timber production could enhance efficiency in that sector; however, it does not address the comparative advantage in fish production. Since the question seeks to increase Grand Coast's advantage over Toland specifically in the context of their trade goods, focusing on timber technology would not yield the desired outcome.
To increase Grand Coast's comparative advantage over Toland, encouraging more workers to pursue fishing is the most effective strategy. This approach directly aligns with the principle of comparative advantage, allowing Grand Coast to specialize in producing fish, where it can operate more efficiently compared to Toland. Other options either detract from production capabilities or fail to target the critical sector needed for enhancing trade benefits.
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