2024-08-02 07:03:19
Peru y Ecuador could complement their exportable offer to meet the demand for Asiawhere the diverse production of both nations would play a key role in that objective, according to the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador, Sonsoles García.
“It allows us to be complementary in international markets. I think that the Andean countries have to unite in order to conquer new markets because alone we cannot reach the large markets even in terms of quantity,” García told the official newspaper El Peruano.
“In order for us to have a substantial impact on international markets, we need to see ourselves in the Andean region as a single block. I think that is where trade should go, more than among ourselves, but rather unite as a block to be a major supplier to other markets,” he explained.
In this regard, Minister García suggested that the South American region should present itself as a single brand to meet international demands. “I believe that, with regard to international trade, the four countries that make up the Andean Community could form an interesting block facing the world,” she emphasized.
Chancay Megaport
On the other hand, Minister Garcia said that the Chancay Port The ship, which is being built in Peru and will begin operations at the end of this year, will bring greater logistical movement, with cabotage operations between the ports of the region to carry cargo to Chancay and from there to the Asia Pacific.
He also highlighted that Ecuador and Peru have similar products. In this regard, he pointed out as an example the possibility of doing complementary work between both countries to serve the Asian markets with hydrobiological products.
“In terms of aquaculture, Ecuador has the largest shrimp export company in the world. Ecuador sends more than 7.5 billion dollars in shrimp alone,” García stressed.
“We have been suffering from a drop in prices over the last two years due to overproduction. Ecuador has become very competitive because we have genetic development laboratories. Ecuador has the only shrimp in the world that is born resistant to white spot, and is more resistant to tropical diseases, due to the genetic development that the country has had with private investment in research,” he explained.
Minister García also indicated that in Ecuador, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises represent more than 70% of the business sector and employ more than 70% of the Ecuadorian population. “In fact, our exports, depending on the destination, are between 71% and 78% coming from MSMEs. So for us, this is an important pillar for promoting exports and trade,” she stressed.
In line with the above, the Ecuadorian authority said that the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries has support programs for MSMEs. “We support them precisely so that they can be much more robust when presenting a value offer abroad, so that they can associate and understand what are the quality, quantity and continuity requirements that countries require when they are going to negotiate, for example, with a supermarket like Walmart,” he explained.
In this regard, Minister García stressed that the key word for SMEs is association, so that they can jointly offer a greater volume of their products. “We have a very important cluster program, we provide free training to SMEs, we are also currently working with public banks to find out which financial products can be for SMEs, in order to improve access to credit,” she added.
Business opportunities
He Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru (Mincetur) highlighted in its bilateral trade report that Ecuador “has a highly developed fishing/aquaculture industry,” sharing the leadership of the region with Chile.
The document states that in 2023, Ecuador exported fishery goods (including aquaculture) worth 9 billion dollars and is the world’s leading exporter of shrimp. “Given its proximity, Peru has inserted itself in the value chains of these industries by exporting intermediate goods, mainly, balanced feed, fish/squid flour, oils, wheat bran, molasses, tin containers, among others. Only in balanced feed and processed grain residues (soy, wheat), Ecuador imports inputs worth more than 1,000 million dollars,” Mincetur reported.
The portfolio also reports that “in the last 12 months, Ecuadorian imports of agricultural products reached 3.83 billion dollars and Peru positioned itself as its third supplier (11% of the total), after the United States (20%) and Bolivia (12%), surpassing Canada (10%) and Argentina (9%).”
A single tourist route
On the other hand, the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador, Sonsoles García, highlighted the work that Peru does to promote the country’s gastronomy, which attracts tourists from other countries to try Peruvian dishes. “I love Peruvian food, but Ecuadorian food is spectacular. We have not had the opportunity to have that opportunity, which you took advantage of, opening up new opportunities,” she said.
In this regard, he pointed out that we must work together to promote South America as a single tourist destination and that the participation of low-cost airlines is key to connecting more cities in the region at a lower price.
“I think the vision doesn’t have to be ‘I arrive in Peru’ or ‘I arrive in Ecuador’, it should be ‘I go to Bogotá, to Santa Marta, then I go to Quito, from there I go to see the Galapagos, then I go to Lima and from there to Machu Picchu. The tour should integrate the Andean countries as a single tourist destination and not fight among ourselves for tourists,” explained García.
The Ecuadorian authority also referred to the case of Europe, where tourists arrive in Madrid and then buy a cheap air ticket and go to Paris, then to Amsterdam or other European cities. “If the connection between Colombia, Ecuador and Peru becomes cheaper, that means that we will have much more interest in having visitors come to the three countries,” he stressed.
He also stressed the need to continue promoting investments in both countries. “We have Ecuadorians investing in Peru and Peruvians investing in Ecuador and the best thing would be for this to continue, for investments between Andean countries to deepen and thereby consolidate ourselves as a single economic block for the world, such as the European Union,” he concluded.