A country can have a comparative advantage in producing a good : Yes, I agree. A country can indeed have a comparative advantage in producing a good even if it is absolutely less efficient at producing that good.
This concept is a fundamental principle in international trade theory and is explained by the theory of comparative advantage.

Comparative advantage refers to a situation where a country can produce a particular good at a lower opportunity cost (forgone alternative) compared to another country. This means that even if one country is less efficient in producing both goods compared to another country, it can still have a relative advantage in producing one of the goods.
Let’s illustrate this concept with an example:
Imagine two countries, Country A and Country B, and two goods, Apples and Computers. Both countries can produce both goods, but their production efficiencies differ. Here are their production possibilities:
Country A:
- Apples: 10 units
- Computers: 2 units
Country B:
- Apples: 6 units
- Computers: 4 units
At first glance, it might appear that Country A is more efficient in producing both goods since it can produce more of both apples and computers. However, let’s calculate the opportunity costs to determine each country’s comparative advantage.
Opportunity Cost of Producing Apples:
- In Country A: 2 Computers per Apple
- In Country B: 0.67 Computers per Apple
Opportunity Cost of Producing Computers:
- In Country A: 0.5 Apples per Computer
- In Country B: 0.25 Apples per Computer
From the opportunity cost calculations, we can see that Country B has a lower opportunity cost of producing both apples and computers. However, Country B’s advantage is greater in producing computers relative to apples. Therefore, Country B has a comparative advantage in producing computers, even though it is less efficient in producing both goods compared to Country A.
In this example, despite the absolute inefficiency of Country B in producing both goods compared to Country A, it still has a comparative advantage in producing computers due to its lower opportunity cost in terms of sacrificed apples.
This example demonstrates how the concept of comparative advantage takes into account the opportunity costs and relative efficiencies of producing goods, leading to mutually beneficial trade between countries, even if one country is less efficient in producing all goods.