Market access negotiation round, to reach an agreement with Mexico, reaches more than 90%, says Minister Prado

Ecuador continues to strengthen its bilateral relations with Mexico, within the framework of negotiations to reach a trade agreement.

The Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries (MPCEIP), Julio José Prado, pointed out that “what could be called the commercial pre-agreement is being reached, the market access negotiation round is more than 90% advanced.” Prado also explained that very specific issues “are being left for later consultation during the next week”

The head of the State portfolio announced that next week he will travel with President Guillermo Lasso and Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín to be able to formalize Ecuador’s request to join the Pacific Alliance.

The MPCEIP reported, through a statement, that the head of the State portfolio during his visit to Mexico met with Mexican businessmen; among them, representatives of the productive chambers of that country and the mining companies Peñoles and Fresnillo, who ratified their interest in Ecuador as a destination for doing business. In this sense, it was agreed a reverse mission to dialogue with authorities in charge of establishing public-private partnerships.

Another advance, emphasizes the ministry, is that two trade missions to Ecuador were confirmed, quota for graduates in foreign trade and forums that promote investments.

The negotiation of the agreement with Mexico, even with observations by productive sectors

Prado, who arrived in the North American country on January 19, met with the Secretary of the Economy of Mexico, Tatiana Clouthier; the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Luz María de la Mora Sánchez; and, the Mexican chief negotiator, Rafael Flores. On the day he was accompanied by the Ecuadorian ambassador to Mexico, Francisco Carrión, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Daniel Legarda, and the Ecuadorian chief negotiator, Edwin Vásquez.

The bilateral meeting took place within the framework of the VI Round of Negotiations of the Trade Agreement between the two countries, in which the progress in trade negotiations between the two nations was analyzed.

The head of Production pointed out that the negotiation of the commercial agreement entered the last stage with the development of the Market Access and Rules of Origin tables.

The Ecuadorian Business Committee (CEE) He said, on these points, that the negotiation process enters the defining stage, in which the products of interest that still require deep consultations with the productive sectors for their definition, particularly, for the access of products of the exportable supply will be addressed Ecuadorian as shrimp, banana and processed tuna, as well as local manufacturing products such as metalworking, automotive, appliances, liquor, among others.

Regarding origin, the union points out, the need to implement specific and particular conditions that make trade viable in both ways has been addressed, taking care of the linkages that enhance local production.

By the Mexican authorities The great opening to reach consensus on financial and telecommunications issues was manifested, which projects a good perspective to carry out a pre-closing of the negotiations, said the MPCEIP.

During the visit of authorities and representatives of the private sector of Ecuador, a memorandum was also signed. Felipe Ribadeneira, president of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), and of the Ecuadorian Business Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the president of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce), in order to promote business ties between both countries.

Some private sector actors, involved in the attached room modality to guarantee transparency in this negotiation process, consider the progress made in Mexico to be positive.

The Ecuadorian delegation was made up of 16 representatives of the private sector in export, industry, trade and agriculture sectors with greater interest in this stage of the bilateral negotiation.

Carlos Loaiza, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Quito, for example, mentions that “an agreement that was unthinkable a few years ago, today is in a defining state and it is done hand in hand with the private sector. We hope that in this last phase the agreement will be closed and the country will continue with the commercial agenda that will allow us to expand our exportable offer and bring in more investments.”

The president of the CCQ also maintains that It is important to advance in the internal process of improving competitiveness, since it will allow the country to be prepared for other agreements that are in the offing. “Mexico has been one of the main investors in the country in recent years. The agreement should allow more investments to reach Ecuador. There are a number of opportunities that the country must take advantage of within the framework of this agreement,” he emphasized. (I)