Suppose that the countries of Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela have interdependent economies. The following table shows the imports and exports between each of these countries. All prices are given in millions of equivalent US dollars.



Country of Origin
Exporting toAmount (\$ ×1,000,000)

Brazil
Argentina4,691

Brazil
Ecuador4,791

Brazil
Venezuela1,526

Argentina
Brazil1,881

Argentina
Ecuador1,971

Argentina
Venezuela2,153

Ecuador
Brazil3,106

Ecuador
Argentina3,672

Ecuador
Venezuela2,018

Venezuela
Brazil4,535

Venezuela
Argentina1,577

Venezuela
Ecuador1,871


Verified Answer :

  • Calculated total exports and imports for each of the four countries based on the provided trade data.
  • Determined the total trade volume by summing exports and imports for each nation.
  • Evaluated the trade balance by subtracting imports from exports, revealing surpluses or deficits for each country.
  • The results are:
  • Brazil: Exports 11,008, Imports 9,522, Volume 20,530, Balance 1,486
  • Argentina: Exports 6,005, Imports 9,940, Volume 15,945, Balance -3,935
  • Ecuador: Exports 8,796, Imports 8,633, Volume 17,429, Balance 163
  • Venezuela: Exports 7,983, Imports 5,697, Volume 13,680, Balance 2,286
  • The values are in millions of USD. \(\boxed{\text{See Table}}\)

Explanation

  1. Problem Analysis and Definitions

To analyze the economic interdependence of Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela, we need to process the provided export/import data. Each row in the table represents an export from one country to another. By aggregating these values, we determine:

  1. Total Exports for a country: The sum of all exports from that country to the other three.
  2. Total Imports for a country: The sum of all exports from the other three countries to that specific country.
  3. Total Trade Volume: The sum of total exports and total imports for that country.
  4. Trade Balance: The difference between total exports and total imports for that country.
  1. Calculating Trade Indicators

Based on the table, we perform the following calculations:

  • Brazil:
  • Exports: \(4,691 + 4,791 + 1,526 = 11,008\)
  • Imports: \(1,881 + 3,106 + 4,535 = 9,522\)
  • Volume: \(11,008 + 9,522 = 20,530\)
  • Balance: \(11,008 - 9,522 = 1,486\)
  • Argentina:
  • Exports: \(1,881 + 1,971 + 2,153 = 6,005\)
  • Imports: \(4,691 + 3,672 + 1,577 = 9,940\)
  • Volume: \(6,005 + 9,940 = 15,945\)
  • Balance: \(6,005 - 9,940 = -3,935\)
  • Ecuador:
  • Exports: \(3,106 + 3,672 + 2,018 = 8,796\)
  • Imports: \(4,791 + 1,971 + 1,871 = 8,633\)
  • Volume: \(8,796 + 8,633 = 17,429\)
  • Balance: \(8,796 - 8,633 = 163\)
  • Venezuela:
  • Exports: \(4,535 + 1,577 + 1,871 = 7,983\)
  • Imports: \(1,526 + 2,153 + 2,018 = 5,697\)
  • Volume: \(7,983 + 5,697 = 13,680\)
  • Balance: \(7,983 - 5,697 = 2,286\)

All values are in millions of USD.

  1. Summary of Results and Final Conclusion

The final trade indicators for each country are summarized as follows (in millions of USD):

| Country | Exports | Imports | Volume | Balance |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Brazil | 11,008 | 9,522 | 20,530 | 1,486 |
| Argentina | 6,005 | 9,940 | 15,945 | -3,935 |
| Ecuador | 8,796 | 8,633 | 17,429 | 163 |
| Venezuela | 7,983 | 5,697 | 13,680 | 2,286 |

This table provides a complete overview of the trade dynamics between these four nations.

Examples

In real-world economics, calculating trade balances is essential for governments and organizations to understand their nation's economic health. For example, if a country has a negative trade balance, like Argentina in this scenario (\(\$-3,935\) million), it may indicate that the country is consuming more foreign goods than it is producing for export, which can affect its currency value and debt levels. Analysts use these indicators to create policies that boost domestic production or target new export markets.