Explanation

Reading the question: We can focus on opinion, which surfaces with the word "therefore." The conclusion resembles a prediction: auto imports from our country into Bordland should have increased. The primary reason is that there are fewer assemblers in that country, while the number of autos sold is the same. The argument overlooks some possibilities: the auto sellers might have had spare inventory, or become more efficient. Or Bordland could be importing more from some other country and not ours. We can look for any of these possibilities as our filter.

Applying the filter: choice (C) matches our prediction. The other answer choices give irrelevant comparisons.

Logical proof: we can attempt to confirm (C) with the negation test. Suppose that the time to assemble an automobile has decreased significantly - for example, due to improved technology. That would explain how the production and hence volume of imports might have remained the same, even given lower staffing levels. The negated (C) would critically damage the argument, so the argument depends on the non-negated version of (C). The correct answer is (C).