The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer) will open its first business office in Ecuador following the signing of a trade association agreement between the two countries. This is a non-governmental public body in charge of promoting Costa Rican exports.

The official presentation and ribbon cutting will take place on June 8 in Quito.

Before the end of his mandate, the Government aims to start negotiations on trade agreements with Panama and the Dominican Republic

Procomer and the Embassy of Costa Rica in Ecuador, together with the Ministry of Production and Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries of Ecuador, as well as ProEcuador, are also organizing a business meeting to discuss business opportunities between Ecuador and Costa Rica, to present the benefits and advantages of the Trade Agreement the association between both countries and for the official presentation of the first commercial office of Procomer in Ecuador.

The event will be attended by Costa Rica’s ambassador to Ecuador, Paula Miranda Vargas; Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador, Julio José Prado; and Export Development Manager of Procomer, Mario Saénz Alfaro; with the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Trade of both countries: Indiana Trejos Gallo, from Costa Rica, and Daniel Legarda, from Ecuador. It will be held in the capital’s Dan Carlton Hotel.

Death on the cross puts the validity of the trade deal with China on hold

The trade association agreement was signed by the presidents of Ecuador and Costa Rica, Guillermo Lasso and Rodrigo Chaves, respectively, on March 1 in San José. It is a supreme and far-reaching agreement, because it represents access to goods; technical standards for trade, services, investments, public procurement. It also includes subjects such as trade and gender; labor and environmental rights; good regulatory practices; sanitary and phytosanitary measures and corporate responsibility of companies.

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.

The agreement still needs to be reviewed and approved by the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly in Ecuador to enter into force, similar to the agreement signed with China on May 10.