Suppose that Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal are economically interdependent. The following table shows the exports and imports of each country, with all monetary values given in millions of equivalent US dollars.



Country of Origin
Exporting to...Amount ( $\$ \times 1,000,000$ )

Bangladesh
India2,817

Bangladesh
Pakistan2,369

Bangladesh
Nepal3,039

India
Bangladesh2,023

India
Pakistan3,462

India
Nepal2,184

Pakistan
Bangladesh3,201

Pakistan
India2,336

Pakistan
Nepal2,338

Nepal
Bangladesh2,707

Nepal
India3,363

Nepal
Pakistan2,332


Verified Answer :

  • Calculate the total exports by summing the values exported from each country to the other three.
  • Determine the total imports for each country by summing the values exported from the other three countries to it.
  • Compute the net trade balance by finding the difference between total exports and total imports for each country.
  • Final net trade balances: Bangladesh \(\boxed{294}\)m, India \(\boxed{-847}\)m, Pakistan \(\boxed{-288}\)m, Nepal \(\boxed{841}\)m.

Explanation

  1. Problem Analysis and Methodology

To determine the economic trade health of the four countries—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal—we must analyze their total exports, total imports, and their net trade balances based on the provided trade data. Each country's total export value is the sum of its individual exports to the other three nations, while its total import value is the sum of the exports from the other three nations to it. The net trade balance for each country is then calculated by subtracting the total import value from the total export value.

The data provided is:

  • Bangladesh (B) exports: India (2,817), Pakistan (2,369), Nepal (3,039)
  • India (I) exports: Bangladesh (2,023), Pakistan (3,462), Nepal (2,184)
  • Pakistan (P) exports: Bangladesh (3,201), India (2,336), Nepal (2,338)
  • Nepal (N) exports: Bangladesh (2,707), India (3,363), Pakistan (2,332)

All values are in millions of US dollars.

  1. Calculation of Total Exports and Imports

First, we calculate the total exports (\(TE\)) for each country by summing the values from the table:

  • Bangladesh (\(TE_B\)): \(2,817 + 2,369 + 3,039 = 8,225\) million USD
  • India (\(TE_I\)): \(2,023 + 3,462 + 2,184 = 7,669\) million USD
  • Pakistan (\(TE_P\)): \(3,201 + 2,336 + 2,338 = 7,875\) million USD
  • Nepal (\(TE_N\)): \(2,707 + 3,363 + 2,332 = 8,402\) million USD

Next, we identify the imports for each country, which corresponds to the exports from other countries directed to them:

  • Bangladesh (\(TI_B\)): From India (2,023), Pakistan (3,201), Nepal (2,707) = \(7,931\) million USD
  • India (\(TI_I\)): From Bangladesh (2,817), Pakistan (2,336), Nepal (3,363) = \(8,516\) million USD
  • Pakistan (\(TI_P\)): From Bangladesh (2,369), India (3,462), Nepal (2,332) = \(8,163\) million USD
  • Nepal (\(TI_N\)): From Bangladesh (3,039), India (2,184), Pakistan (2,338) = \(7,561\) million USD
  1. Calculation of Net Trade Balance and Final Results

Now, we determine the net trade balance (\(NB\)) by subtracting the total imports from the total exports (\(NB = TE - TI\)):

  • Bangladesh: \(8,225 - 7,931 = 294\) million USD
  • India: \(7,669 - 8,516 = -847\) million USD
  • Pakistan: \(7,875 - 8,163 = -288\) million USD
  • Nepal: \(8,402 - 7,561 = 841\) million USD

The results can be summarized as follows:

  • Bangladesh: Total Exports = 8,225m, Total Imports = 7,931m, Net Balance = 294m
  • India: Total Exports = 7,669m, Total Imports = 8,516m, Net Balance = -847m
  • Pakistan: Total Exports = 7,875m, Total Imports = 8,163m, Net Balance = -288m
  • Nepal: Total Exports = 8,402m, Total Imports = 7,561m, Net Balance = 841m

The net trade balances are \(\boxed{294, -847, -288, 841}\) million USD respectively for Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

Examples

In international trade, analyzing the net balance of payments is crucial for countries to understand their economic relationship with neighbors. For example, if a country finds that its imports significantly exceed its exports (like India in this scenario), the government might look into policies to promote domestic manufacturing or renegotiate trade agreements to balance the flow of goods. These calculations are essential for economists and policymakers in making informed decisions about economic stability and growth.