The new environment in which agroindustry activity operates in Peru, proves that comparative advantages alone are not enough to compete in the international market. The development of the asparagus industry in our country illustrates this situation and throws into relief the challenges to be faced to achieve stability and growth.

The new development strategy adopted in Peru, since August 1990, attempts to set up the basis of a modern, competitive, and export oriented strategy. Nevertheless, it is clear that the period of transition involves costs. In order to minimize it, the authors think it is necessary the inmediate reactivation of those sectors with comparative natural advantages in order to absorb part of the cost of the this transition.In that way, a new leading sector will turn up and guide the export growth. Among them, the authors consider that the agroindustrial sector, due to its potencial and excellent natural conditions, will play a leading rol.

​The formation of regional blocks in the world set up new challenges to the export sectors of the economies of developing countries. This article aims to analyze the relationship between Peru and one of those blocks: the European Economic Community. This is presented as an important alternative for expansion of Peruvian exports, which will be essential to have a stable macroeconomic framework internally to exploit the country's comparative advantages and to develop competitive advantages; these elements will depend on integration more efficient of the Peruvian economy to international markets​.