萨尔瓦多《国际经济学》第8版的解释
Like Smith, Ricardo emphasized the supply side of the market. The immediate basis for trade stemmed from cost differences between nations, which were underlaid by their natural and acquired advantages. Unlike Smith, who emphasized the importance of absolute cost differences among nations, Ricardo emphasized comparative (relative) cost differences. Ricardo’s trade theory thus became known as the principle of comparative advantage. Indeed, countries often develop comparative advantages resulting from natural advantages and acquired advantages.
According to the law of comparative advantage, even if one nation is less efficient than (has an absolute disadvantage with respect to) the other nation in the production of both commodities, there is still a basis for mutually beneficial trade. The first nation should specialize in the production of and export the commodity in which its absolute disadvantage is smaller (this is commodity of its comparative advantage) and import the commodity in which its absolute disadvantage is greater (this is the commodity of its comparative disadvantage).