The Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries is broad and therefore the transition between Daniel Legarda and Sonsoles García It took eight meetings, and one of the points was the already approved trade agreements that were in progress. “We talked about ensuring continuity in trade, competitiveness, fishing, promotion and the necessary strengthening that must exist around investment regulation,” Legarda commented this Wednesday, November 22, his last day in office.

What is the balance sheet of the ministry?

A positive balance that is reflected in several indicators. We have implemented a competitiveness strategy, part of which are trade agreements, three of which have been signed: China, Costa Rica and South Korea. We have promoted the most important tariff reform in the last twelve years, benefiting $180 million a year in tariff reductions, in cost reductions for more than 5,200 customer companies, particularly in the manufacturing sector. We have reformed the quality system, new quality laboratories and accreditation bodies have been introduced, and market surveillance has increased by more than 3000%, i.e. product inspections to determine whether they comply with labeling standards, safety and environmental standards that they had not happened in the country and was implemented in our administration.

We had an intensive program of support for micro, small and medium economic, popular and solidarity enterprises and artisans with our strategy ‘More SMEs for the world’.

What is the deal with South Korea?

With South Korea a month ago it was in English, the Koreans call it a pre-signing, but it is the signing of an agreement that has already been finalized in English, Ecuador has already made a translation into Spanish. Korea will finish the translation into their own language in the first weeks of December, and then they have to complete an internal process that will take several months, and the next process is expected to be able to be established between April and June 2024.

Minister Daniel Legarda: The calendar allows us to sign an agreement with South Korea

And the one from Costa Rica?

This week, probably today, the verdict will be checked at the Constitutional Court, and thus the next administration, from the Presidency of the Republic, will have to send it to the Assembly for processing.

What are the rapprochements with other countries?

With Canada, whose negotiations begin in March, with the additional procedure requested by the Government of Canada, which is a new remark from its cabinet, this is something that will happen, they told us that there is no objection, but you have to formally take that step.

In the case of Panama, the exchange of information is already underway, and the schedule for the negotiation dates needs to be determined.

With the United States, although it is not a trade agreement, but a preferential tariff program, the IDEA law also remains with a significant level of progress. The introduction of the bill in the House of Representatives of the United States Legislature was announced last week.

We announced the official opening of negotiations with the Dominican Republic last week. It will be necessary to make a schedule between the teams and sit down so that it can be adjusted.

Trade agreements: negotiations with the Dominican Republic remain open, and on the agenda with Panama and Canada

Will negotiating teams for trade agreements be retained?

The technical team has been a fundamental part of the success in this administration and in that sense it is an advantage, it is the capital of the country, not the Government in power, I think it will be a success if they can continue, there is a part of the career team, but Obviously the next administration the one that has a definition.

Another key to achieving this success was the participation of all productive sectors in the country, which includes large, medium, small popular and solidary economic companies, artisans, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, services, companies from the coast, the Sierra, even the East, and also the Galapagos.

What is the yellow card process for the fisheries sector?

Especially in the case of the aquaculture and fisheries sector, it is very important to mention the investment of 67 million dollars, slightly more, which is valid until 2025 at the latest, in order to be able to implement the aquaculture and fisheries system.

From a country that was classified as uncooperative in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, we have become a benchmark in traceability, sustainability and soon we will also abolish the yellow card that the European Union has placed in Ecuador since 2019.

We have made several efforts, the former minister (Julio José Prado) and the current one, two audit visits by the European Union, I traveled to Brussels in September to speak with the Commissioner of the Directorate General for the Sea to insist that the last audit be carried out before the end of the year, this has yet to be confirmed , this is something that the next administration will mention, but we are working on how this visit can actually take place, and with it the subsequent reports so that this yellow card can finally be lifted.

In 2023, the government signed investment contracts with companies worth almost 1,751 million dollars

How many investment contracts does the government conclude with?

260 contracts and additions for more than 9.5 billion dollars of investment, and this despite the difficulties that arose in connection with the investment. In two and a half years, this is more than the $7.7 billion that was achieved between 2013 and 2021.

So far this year, it has $1.175 million in investment deals, down from last year, which ended with $3.201 million. What caused this reduction?

This is because there was a change in the law and there were several contracts that wanted to end the use of the benefits of the previous law and therefore there is a distance, but it is important to see it in full size: 9.5 billion dollars in the government period.

There are about $5,000 million in contracts pending approval (a little over 100), much more to approve, which will be the next administration to follow up on.

Despite, I insist, the difficulties we had, in the panorama that did not follow us, we presented a law to improve the investment environment, the National Assembly left it in the drawer, we hope that now the Assembly is debating that the country is required to promote investment, especially international investments.