The Ecuadorian banana sector's export volume has gradually declined in recent years, according to statistical data published by the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE). In 2017, however, the number of boxes exported slightly increased. Last year, the country had an offer of 27 thousand boxes, in 2016 it stood at around 26,500 boxes.
This data shows a positive trend, as the exporting countries could increase their production volumes in the short term. According to statistics, Ecuador increased its exports in December. There also was a pronounced decrease in exports during the summer months, a trend that is undoubtedly due to the high competition from other countries in that season.
The main destinations for the Ecuadorian bananas are Russia and northern European countries, which accounted for 22% of the export volume, followed by the Middle East, the Mediterranean countries and the United States. Exports to the US decreased by 44% over 2016, while exports to Africa decreased by 32% when compared to the previous year.
In 2017, Ubesa, the most important banana company in Ecuador, exported 31,889 boxes of bananas. Meanwhile, Reybanpac and Truisfuirt, the second and third biggest exporters, shipped out 16,732 and 15,938 boxes, respectively.
Seventy seven percent of all the banana exported from Ecuador are shipped out through the port of Guayaquil, while the remaining 23% is exported from the port of Bolivar.