The presidents of Ecuador and Costa Rica, Guillermo Lasso and Rodrigo Chávez, formalized a trade association agreement that brings benefits to trade between the two countries. The signing took place on Wednesday in San José, the capital of Costa Rica.

It is a supreme and far-reaching agreement, because it represents access to goods; technical standards for trade, services, investments, public procurement. But it also includes issues such as trade and gender; labor and environmental rights; good regulatory practices; sanitary and phytosanitary measures and corporate responsibility of companies, the Presidency reported.

97% of Ecuador’s export supply will have preferential access to enter Costa Rica, especially products from the manufacturing sector such as paper, steel wire, textiles, white goods, fishery products, among others.

On the other hand, raw materials such as iron, steel, medicines, medical instruments and others will enter Ecuador from Costa Rica.

The internationalization and diversification of micro, small and intermediary enterprises (Mypimes), the transfer of knowledge in innovation and the exchange of technology will be promoted. Of the 151 Ecuadorian companies exporting to Costa Rica, 85 are Mypimes.

President Guillermo Lasso emphasized that this is the first trade agreement signed by his government. “It will be the starting point for the prosperity of both peoples,” he pointed out, indicating that the two countries have a lot in common.

For his part, Chávez celebrated that nations share principles of well-being for their citizens, through trade and integration. And through the fact that they share democratic values ​​and visions, said the Costa Rican president.

In addition, the Ecuadorian president announced that the first summit of the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD), which consists of Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Panama, will be held in Quito on March 6, to promote economic growth within the framework of democracy.