Nathalie Cely, president of the Centro de Competitividad in Quito and former Ecuadorean ambassador to the United States: “The Chinese market for Ecuadorean exports has been of supreme importance in recent years, especially for shrimp and bananas. There are also clear advantages for products such as flowers, ready-to-eat food products and fruit pulp. In the case of shrimp, the Chinese market is first, followed by the United States. Overall, China is now the second-largest destination for Ecuadorean exports, according to the central bank. However, Ecuador had a trade deficit of $1.58 billion in 2021. While there is no sensitivity in the national agricultural market, there is in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. It must be recognized that the competitiveness conditions of companies in these sectors are much lower, which is aggravated by the subsidies that the Chinese government continues to grant to certain sectors. Ecuador’s government expects to double its exports to China and expand the market by about $1 billion, and it is hitting the accelerator in the negotiations with the aim of reaching a trade agreement by the end of this year…”