Ecuador is about to close negotiations for a trade agreement with Mexico, which will open the doors to the Pacific Alliance.
The last trip of the Ecuadorian negotiating team to participate in a new round of agreements took place in mid-January. Delegates from the Ecuadorian Business Committee also traveled, as part of the Deputy Room, and with them representatives of the Ecuador-Mexico Binational Chamber of Commerce (Comecuamex).
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Alexandra Mosquera, executive president of Comecuamex, He highlighted that the union offered technical support to the process and logistical support to the business delegation.
A similar stake is expected to meet the Ecuadorian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the negotiation process for a Free Trade Agreement that is approaching with the Asian giant and that is expected to close at the end of this year, he said Gustavo Caceres, executive president of that union.
And it is that with the commercial policy of the Government, which seeks to sign at least ten trade agreements with different markets and blocks, these binational unions have been strengthened in their objective of promoting the economic interests of Ecuador and the countries they represent, promoting and supporting investments in different sectors such as industrial, commercial, financial and tourism.
But how many Chambers are there? According to the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, 61 binational unions operate in the country.
The first to start operations in Ecuador were the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Navigation and Fine Arts of Ecuador and the Ecuadorian-American Chamber of Commercein 1976.
Meanwhile, the most recent, in 2021, was the General Chamber of Commerce of Jiang Su Province, China, in Ecuador.
Iván Ontaneda, former Minister of Production and Foreign Tradeeven highlights that the participation of binational chambers is fundamental, not only to link the private sector of one country with that of another, but also to seek synergies that allow discrepancies to be resolved.
“When we achieved the signing of the first phase agreement with the United States, in December 2020, it was essential to have the permanent support of the productive sectors and mainly the binational chambers,” highlighted the foreign trade expert.
He also cataloged the Productive Deputy Room as a fundamental tool in trade agreement negotiations, which allow the direct participation of the various sectors (mainly sensitive ones) that require a public-private strategy and thus obtain real and efficient benefits.
According to the ministry, the requirements for a binational chamber to operate in the country are provided for in the Executive Decree 193, published in the Official Registry Supplement 109 of October 27, 2017, through which the Regulation for the Granting of Legal Personality to Social Organizations was issued.
For her part, Mosquera, who is also executive director of the Ecuadorian-Peruvian Chamber of Commerce and Integration (Camepe) and of the Ecuadorian-Colombian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (Camecol)highlighted that the contribution of these unions ranges from the generation of business agendas for entrepreneurs from one country to the other and the organization of trade missions, to the promotion of culture, gastronomy and the most outstanding emblems of the countries.
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Between Camepe, Camecol and Comecuamex they group around 120 associated companies.
“We maintain permanent contact with the embassies of Colombia, Peru, and Mexico in Ecuador, as well as with the promotion agencies PromPerú, ProColombia, and ProEcuador to identify business opportunities and organize joint programs that allow business sectors seeking to invest, buy or sell products”, explained the leader.
Cáceres agrees with Mosquera, who assured that the chambers promote in a specialized way the commercial, cultural and friendship exchange between Ecuador and the country that each chamber represents.
“They are definitely supports for (Ecuadorian) businessmen who want to learn more about these countries and become a kind of allies when they want to make an investment in a safer way,” said the union leader, who recalled that the Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce- China was founded by Segundo Wong Mayorga on February 17, 1998 together with 20 businessmen.
It currently has more than 200 affiliated companies and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Mosquera clarified that the financing of these chambers comes mainly from monthly membership contributions from affiliated companies and individuals. Also of the services offered to the public, such as market research, business agendas and the organization of training and gastronomic and cultural events.
He added that some binational chambers receive funds from international institutions or from the countries and federations to which they belong, but that depends on the country and the conditions indicated in its statutes.
Meanwhile, the expectations for this year, Mosquera mentioned, are to strengthen union representation by channeling different business opportunities between Ecuadorian and foreign companies. “In the case of Mexico, Peru and Colombia. to move towards the reactivation and unity that can be achieved with Ecuador’s entry into the Pacific Alliance,” said the leader.
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For his part, Cáceres announced that the Chamber will seek to be part of and support the negotiation process of the trade agreement with China.
“Despite being an economic power, China still maintains the values of an ancient culture and we as a Chamber have a lot of experience in managing this type of relationship,” explained Cáceres.
However, based on his experience, Ontaneda warned that a lot of coordination is needed to allow expeditious progress in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, from the Ministry of Production it was indicated that at the moment there are fourteen binational chambers pending to obtain their legal personality, among them the International Chamber of Agricultural, Technological, Tourism, Commercial Integration and Business Development of Ecuador, Israel and Morocco; the Ecuadorian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CET), the Arab-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce (CCAE), among other. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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