In 2013, banana sales recovered from the sharp drop they had in 2012. However, not all markets have been recaptured. According to the Ecuadorian Association of Banana Exporters (AEBE), the U.S. bought 8.69 percent more boxes of bananas from Ecuador, but the European Union purchased 17.72 percent less.
In total, 259,338.799 boxes were shipped last year, 10,498.437 boxes more than in the previous period. According to the AEBE, it's interesting that the U.S. market has responded better. The EU had a poor performance, in part because there still is no trade agreement with the bloc. According to the AEBE, this is a drawback as, since Colombia and Peru do have an FTA with Europe, they can introduce their bananas at a lower tariff.
"In 2013, the European importer paid 12 cents more per box of bananas from Ecuador when compared with the imports from Colombia, Peru or Central America," said the banana sector. For this year, forecasts are worse.
The businessmen will pay 20 cents per box of bananas, which explains the drop in sales. The other problem with Europe is the crisis in the Mediterranean, which reduced household spending on fruits.
Source: El expreso