Ecuador exported US$59m of bananas to Russia in the first half of 2017, 9.2 per cent more than in the same period last year, according to the South American country’s trade mission.
Bananas have become Ecuador’s biggest export to Russia, overtaking shrimp, frozen fish and fruit puree.
The trade mission said that the prospects of expanding trade was discussed at a business meeting between Ecuadorean and Russian entrepreneurs in the banana sector during last week’s World Food trade fair in Moscow.
Representatives from 15 Ecuadorean companies held more than 100 business meetings with Russian companies at the event, including a number of major retailers.
These negotiations are expected to result in a future increase in Russian imports from Ecuador, the mission said.
The event was opened by Ecuador’s ambassador to Russia, Julio Cesar Prado Espinosa, the Russian Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Exporters and Importers, led by Niyazi Gasymov, and Ecuador’s banana sales and exports association ACORBANEC, led by Richard Salazar.
