The concept of comparative advantage was first formulated by economist David Ricardo as an explanation of the benefits of international trade for countries. It is also one of the most commonly misunderstood principles. The Theory of Comparative Advantage - Overview. The following feature shows how to calculate absolute and comparative advantage … 15. David Ricardo believed that the international trade is governed by the comparative cost advantage rather than the absolute cost advantage. This is another theory of trade which states countries gravitate towards trading with similar countries with close geographical proximity. The challenge to the absolute advantage theory was that some countries may be better at producing both goods and, therefore, have an advantage in many areas. His theory concluded that a country could increase its income by specializing in certain products and services and selling these on the international market. New trade theory states that in the real world, comparative advantage is less important than the economies of scale from specialisation. The theory of comparative advantage presented in this paper is attractive for two reasons. This is important not only for generalizing … In Ricardo’s theory, which was based on the labour theory … To answer this challenge, David … is perhaps the most important concept in international trade theory… It shows that the gains from international trade result from pursuing comparative advantage and producing at a lower opportunity cost. Comparative Advantage of International Trade. A country will specialise in that line of production in which it has a greater relative or comparative advantage … In contrast, another country may not have any useful absolute advantages. International trade does not require offsetting absolute advantages but is possible where a comparative advantage exists. The theory of comparative advantage A country has a comparative advantage when it can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than another country; alternatively, when the relative productivities between goods compared with another country are the highest. The theory of comparative advantage explains why countries trade: they have different comparative advantages. ADVERTISEMENTS: In this article we will discuss about the David Ricardo’s theory of comparative cost advantage. Gravity theory. Incomplete theory: It is an incomplete theory. Comparative cost theory of international trade This theory is developed by a classical economist David Ricardo. He, therefore, regards the theory of comparative advantage as cumbersome, unrealistic, and as a clumsy and dangerous tool of analysis. international trade. As an alternative, Ohlin has propounded a new theory which is known as the modern theory of International Trade. Comparative advantage, economic theory, first developed by 19th-century British economist David Ricardo, that attributed the cause and benefits of international trade to the differences in the relative opportunity costs (costs in terms of other goods given up) of producing the same commodities among countries. The theory of comparative advantage is perhaps the most important concept in international trade theory. According to this theory, the international trade between two countries is possible only if each of them has absolute or comparative cost advantage in the production of at least one commodity. However, a comparative advantage is always accompanied by a comparative disadvantage. Businesses also may have a comparative advantage … New trade theory. The first one is that it allows us to consider both sources of com-parative advantage, technology and factor endowment—within a unifying yet highly tractable framework. Historical Overview. 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