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ECUADOR

Ecuador is always able to supply international markets with fruits and flowers, and today presents itself as a Nation also interested in adding value to its agricultural products and in generating foreign direct investments in strategic sectors for the development of its country.

Sectors and investment opportunities:
Aquaculture

Ecuador is one of the largest exporters of white shrimp, tilapia and shrimp (100% organic). The rigorous treatment and the use of a system of traceability and safety allowed Ecuador to access more competitive and international markets.
This sector involves 61 packaging plants, 60 exporters and 182 trawlers and reached a total turnover of 680 million US dollars in 2008.

Fishing

In Ecuador, approximately 400.000 people are engaged in this activity. The main kinds of fish are: tuna and sardines, fishmeal and frozen, fresh and canned fish.

Agro-food industry

Ecuador has made a great effort to add value to its agricultural products. In particular, the country supplies 50% of the world market of palm harts and exports to international markets 90% of its national production of passion fruit (concentrated maracuya).
Ecuador ranks fourth in the world for the production and export of bananas. Over 180.000 hectares of banana plantations are located around the country. Additionally 3300 hectares of pineapple plantations contribute to Ecuador’s export market and are mainly concentrated in Los Rios, Santo Domingo and Los Tsachilas.
The country is a leading producer of cocoa and counts on about 500.000 hectares of cocoa cultivation and over 100.000 companies specialized in cocoa harvesting and processing. Currently Ecuador ranks seventh in the world and produces approximately 70.000 tons of cocoa which is often used to produce cocoa derivatives such as pasta, butter, liquor and more. Main investment opportunities in this agricultural field are: technological development of the industrial chain of production of fine cocoa, rehabilitation and plantation of cocoa palm trees, marketing and export enhancement for local producers.
In the agro-industrial sector, Ecuador promotes investments directed to develop added value for those companies ( leaders in vacuum and refrigeration systems, canned, concentrated, frozen, dried food, and pulp) with the intent to facilitate the development of the production chain and extend markets access.
Main country areas active in agroindustry are: Guayas, Pichincha, and El Oro; moreover, over 28% of the population is involved in agro-food industry

Floriculture

In Ecuador over 5.832 hectares are cultivated in flowers, but the aim is to develop this sector through the use of organic fertilizers, ecological packaging and technological innovation.
There are opportunities of developing the cultivation of: roses, tropical flowers (anthurium), summer flowers (chrysanthemum) and Gypsophila.

Wood and furniture

With a total of three million hectares of productive forest plantations, Ecuador is particularly interested in attracting investments in the secondary wood sector for the development of home, kitchen, and office furniture and construction materials.
Ecuador is an important manufacturer of wood chips, lumber, wood panels, reconstituted-wood fibre, particle board, plywood, flooring and doors.

Biofuels

Ecuador, although has a special care in food safety, is interested in the production of biofuels from the following products: castor oil, sugar cane (with a production capacity of 135.000 hectares), palm oil (with 210.000 hectares), pinion (with 320.000 hectares of production).

Software and Technology

In Ecuador, about 700 companies are involved in software development, and many are the opportunities to invest in software systems for finance, corporate control and entertainment clusters.

Logistics

Ecuador seeks to improve its infrastructures and logistics to make them globally competitive in the hope of becoming an international centre. Thus, Ecuador attracts investment in services and aims to develop innovative seaport infrastructures with the goal to improve both mobility and services.

Engineering industry

This sector sees the activity of companies specialized in the processing of raw materials, production of machineries, equipments and metal structures, and that have an interest in attracting investments from other companies involved in local production and in the assembly of components in the automotive and electrical appliances industry.