While different natural resources and the theory of comparative advantage can explain many trade patterns, they cannot explain all types of trade that economists observe.

Consider each scenario in the following table and determine which theory best explains the trade pattern described.

Scenario

Dynamic Comparative Advantage

Product Life Cycle Theory

Intra-Industry Specialization

Ice wine is a special spirit that can only be made during a few months in the winter. The nations of Fruzenton and Grappovia are in different hemispheres, and each produces ice wine. During each nation’s winter, its ice wine industry produces enough to meet domestic demand and export to the other country. The ice wine exchanged between the two nations is nearly identical.
For many years, the nation of Stilettopia’s high-heel shoe producers have struggled in the international market because strict labor laws have made it hard to get productivity out of Stilettopians. In an effort to stimulate its industry, legislators in Stilettopia approve a bill that reduces the minimum wage and extends the number of hours shoe laborers can work in a day. Once the new policies take effect, Stilettopian high-heel shoe makers have lower costs than international competition and are able to reduce prices to the point that there is demand to export their shoes.
Since the turn of the century, nearly all X-ray machines purchased by hospitals have been made in Alloway. However, engineers in Osteoville recently designed an X-Ray machine that produces much more accurate results, leading to fewer malpractice cases and more reliable diagnoses. These new X-ray machines quickly become the industry standard. As a result of this, the production of X-ray machines is thriving in Osteoville, while firms in Alloway lose market share and begin trying to develop a new source of advantage.