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AQA GCSE · Question 14.2 · How the economy works
Explain one reason why the value of a country's exports might be larger than the value of its imports.
Explain one reason why the value of a country's exports might be larger than the value of its imports.
How to approach this question
Think about the factors that influence demand for a country's exports and its demand for imports. Identify one factor and explain how it could lead to exports exceeding imports.
Full Answer
One reason is that the country's goods are highly competitive internationally. This could be due to lower prices or higher quality, leading to high foreign demand for its exports while domestic consumers may also prefer the cheaper/better domestic goods over imports.
A country might have a trade surplus (exports > imports) for several reasons:
- **Strong international competitiveness:** The country may produce high-quality goods or produce goods at a lower cost than other countries. This increases demand for its exports.
- **A weak exchange rate:** A low value of the country's currency makes its exports cheaper for foreign buyers and makes imports more expensive for domestic buyers. This combination boosts exports and reduces imports.
- **Strong economic growth in trading partner countries:** If the countries that buy your exports are experiencing an economic boom, their demand for your goods will increase.
- **Domestic recession:** A slowdown in the domestic economy can reduce demand for all goods, including imports, which can lead to a trade surplus.
Common mistakes
Simply stating 'high exports' without explaining why exports might be high.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Economics Paper 2
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