In the context of the global economy, which of the following best describes the concept of comparative advantage?

• A. A country exports only those goods that it cannot produce domestically.
• B. A country imports goods that are more expensive to produce abroad.
• C. A country produces all goods more efficiently than other countries.
• D. A country specializes in producing goods for which it has the lowest opportunity cost.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of comparative advantage, which refers to a country's ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost compared to other countries.
2. Step 2: Recognize that opportunity cost is what a country sacrifices in order to produce one good instead of another, emphasizing efficiency in resource allocation.
3. Step 3: Compare the given options to the definition of comparative advantage, focusing on the idea of specialization based on lowest opportunity cost rather than absolute production efficiency.
4. Step 4: Eliminate options that describe incorrect or unrelated concepts, such as exporting goods that cannot be produced domestically or producing all goods more efficiently (which relates to absolute advantage).
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of comparative advantage is that a country specializes in producing goods for which it has the lowest opportunity cost, enabling beneficial trade.