The mercantile expeditions organized by Lima's commercial and political elite who traded with the Philippines and China during times of notable silver production in Potosí are studied from the last two decades of the sixteenth century until 1604. This analysis emphasizes the roles in this trade of the viceroys of New Spain, Perú, and the governors of the Philippine islands such as Francisco Tello de Guzmán. Case studies are undertaken of the networks built by Limenian neighbors Juan de Segura and Diego Núñez de Campoverde. This paper ends with an analysis of the merchandise coming from the East destined for Lima, Potosí, Sucre, and La Paz. Research for this article has been conducted in the General Archive of the Indies (Sevilla, Spain), the Peruvian General Archive, México City's General Notary Archive, and the Bolivia's Nationals Archive and Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]