Ecuador is fast emerging as a major trade partner of Qatar in the Latin American region.
The Latin American country plans to make Hamad Port its hub for banana exports even as it eyes the export of shrimp farming technology expertise to Qatar.
In an earlier interview with Gulf Times, Ecuador ambassador Yvonne A-Baki said her country was looking into the potential export of technology and expertise in shrimp farming to Qatar in an effort to contribute to the country’s initiatives related to self-sufficiency and food security.
According to her, Ecuador is the world’s third largest exporter of farmed shrimp. It has also developed the technology to farm shrimp without the ‘whispovirus’ or the white spot syndrome virus.
“We have also the technology to produce more farmed shrimp with less use of land, thus making this industry not only sustainable but more importantly environment-friendly,” the envoy told Gulf Timesearlier.
Aside from shrimp farming, she had said Ecuador planned to make Hamad Port its hub for banana exports by opening direct shipping routes between the two countries.
Also, she said the embassy was preparing to discuss plans to enhance the export of roses to Qatar. Currently, Ecuador exports around 2mn roses to Qatar per week, the ambassador said, who had accompanied a delegation composed of more than 20 companies from Ecuador at The St Regis Doha.
Ecuador, she said, was looking to enhance bilateral trade between Qatar and Ecuador.
In February 2018, Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Pablo Campana Saenz visited Qatar as head of an economic delegation, and met with Qatar Chamber vice-chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Towar in the presence of a number of Qatari businessmen. Following the meeting, the Qatar Chamber vice-chairman said the two countries signed a number of agreements aimed at facilitating trade, business and investment, and noted a joint interest to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries which reached QR30.6mn in 2017, QNA reported.
For his part, Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment said the delegation discussed opportunities of encouraging Qatari investments in the sectors of hotels, tourism, mining, gas and others.
The Ecuadorian minister underlined that Qatar is an important investment destination in the region, stressing the significance of Qatari investments in Ecuador.
The two countries are linked by many agreements, including a convention on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion, an agreement on co-operation in legal matters, an agreement on air services, an agreement on trade, economic and technical co-operation between the two countries, and a goodwill memorandum for media co-operation and exchange of news.
