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The idea of "absolute advantage" is a cornerstone of international trade theory and refers to a nation's capacity to provide a specific good or service more effectively than another nation. Scottish economist Adam Smith popularized the phrase in his seminal book "The Wealth of Nations," which was published in 1776.
The fundamental tenet of absolute advantage is that commerce can be mutually beneficial between nations if each country focuses on producing the items or services for which it has an absolute advantage. The consequence will be a more effective use of resources and a greater quality of life for their inhabitants. Countries can do this by increasing their overall production and consumption.
Consider a straightforward scenario where two nations, A and B, each produce two items, X and Y, to help explain the idea of absolute advantage. Country A will always have an edge in the manufacture of both items X and Y if it can do so with fewer resources (such as labor, capital, and raw materials) than country B.
Both countries can profit from trade if country A has a clear competitive advantage in producing good X while country B has a clear competitive advantage in producing good Y. Each nation is able to specialize in the production of the good for which it has a distinct advantage by exchanging good X for good Y in the trade.
Absolute advantage should not be confused with "comparative advantage," which describes a nation's capacity to provide a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another nation. In other words, if a nation can manufacture a good more effectively than any other nation, it has a comparative advantage in producing that good.
