Mexico has lower wages than the United States. Does this necessarily mean that it will have a comparative advantage in the production of everything compared to the United States?

What will be an ideal response?


Wages are only one factor in the input mix. What matters is the overall opportunity cost of production. If wages are 1/5 the in Mexico compared to what they are in the United States and workers in Mexico are 1/5 as productive as American workers this doesn't translate necessarily into a comparative advantage for Mexico. Also, goods that are produced with a lot of capital which turns out to be more expensive in Mexico and less expensive in the U.S. will tip the comparative advantage to the United States.

Economics

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What will be an ideal response?

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Economics