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International Trade - Theory and Policy, 2010a

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Chapter 2<br />

The Ricardian <strong>Theory</strong> of Comparative Advantage<br />

This chapter presents the first formal model of international trade: the Ricardian model.<br />

It is one of the simplest models, <strong>and</strong> still, by introducing the principle of comparative<br />

advantage, it offers some of the most compelling reasons supporting international trade.<br />

Readers will learn some of the surprising outcomes of the Ricardian model; for example,<br />

less productive nations can benefit from free trade with their more productive<br />

neighbors, <strong>and</strong> very low-wage countries are unlikely to be able to use their production<br />

cost advantage in many circumstances. Readers will also learn why so many people,<br />

even those who have studied the Ricardian theory, consistently get the results wrong.<br />

In other words, the Ricardian model is both one of the most misunderstood <strong>and</strong> one of<br />

the most compelling models of international trade.<br />

Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books<br />

Saylor.org<br />

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