Abstract: Different from the existing traditional economic growth theories, the theory of agglomeration advantages believes that the material resources, technological progress, human capital, labor division, industrial structures and the factors of institution and culture are the objects of the agglomeration advantages; the advantage agglomeration oriented mode of production is the core driving force of economic growth. Although the United States has been promoting the theory of comparative advantage for developing countries, if examining its development history from the founding of the United States to the time before the First World War, it can be seen that its economic development and catch-up process is the process of agglomeration advantages. In an open economic environment, by formulating and implementing the advantage agglomeration oriented economic development strategy, forming the advantage agglomeration oriented economic development model, and encouraging advantage agglomeration oriented economic behaviors, the backward countries will grow by leaps and bounds, so that they can accelerate the process of narrowing the gap between themselves and the advanced countries. Based on higher long-term growth rates, they can achieve their catch-up both in economic gross and in per capita income.

Key words: agglomeration advantages; comparative advantage; economic growth