This paper was prepared in order to spread the results of the research carried out within the Uruguayan businesses at request of the Bolivian Government (during 2003 and part of 2004) in order to identify its potential for establishing strategic alliances between businessmen of the textile and clothing sectors of Bolivia and Uruguay, aiming at better using the tariff advantages given by the “Ley de Promoción Comercial Andina y de Erradicación de Droga” (ATPDEA: Andean Commercial Promotion and Drugs Eradication Act).

Such alliances would be based on the advantages granted by the Bolivian Government in order to boost foreign investments, such as industrial plants relocation in Bolivia, especially the ones coming from countries with a textile tradition, in this case, Uruguay, making easier their access to the North-American markets thanks to the said tariff preferences.

* Document prepared by Juan Sánchez Loppacher, in accordance with the Action Programme 2003 of ALADI General Secretariat, within the scope of the Supporting System for the Relatively Less Developed Countries, with the financial support of the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).