Elimination of tariffs and quotas in the nineties caused the fusion or bankruptcy of undercapitalised companies, unable to adapt to the new competition climate. The sector has been the most affected after the low demand of manufactured goods since 1998. The most importand subsectors are fishmeal, textiles, food, beer and soft drinks. In textiles, long-fibre Pima cotton, alpaca and vicuna have high export potential. In this respect, the ATPDEA has raised textile exports from US$ 664.2 million in 2001 to US$817.6 million in 2003.