Representatives of small producers and exporters of medicinal herbs, quinoa and banana gathered on Tuesday to express the importance of signing a free trade agreement with the European Union this year. The event was held in the auditorium of the Corporation for the Promotion of Exports and Imports (Corpei).
In mid-January, five years after the negotiation process stalled, Ecuador and the EU held the first round of negotiations in Belgium.
Roberto Betancourt, chief negotiator of the trade agreement, confirmed that the second round of talks will be held in Ecuador between March 24 and March 27 and that they would address issues such as market access for agricultural and industrial goods, and services procurement.
He added that one of the topics to be discussed was the access to banana exports from the country.
In his presentation at Corpei, Pedro Vasquez, representative of small banana associations such as Cerro Azul and Asoguabo, indicated that the current lack of a trade agreement with the EU increased the price of a box of Ecuadorian bananas by $0.37 when compared to the Colombian fruit, which is benefited by an FTA. He added that the difference would amount to $0.54 next year.
Source: Eluniverso.com