In an interview with FreshFruitPortal.com, José Antonio Hidalgo, executive director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), shared details about the meeting between the Ecuadorian export sector and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, where they addressed tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

For Hidalgo, the April 2 tariff announcement “impacted the world and all U.S. trading partners, with baseline tariffs of 10%.”

However, on April 9, President Trump authorized a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs, effective immediately.

AEBE’s executive director described the pause as “a good sign.”

He explained that they were able to meet in person with U.S. authorities in Washington, thanks to actions taken by the Foreign Ministry and the associations and companies that trade with the U.S. market.

“They communicated with the U.S. trade authority, and there was a quick response to the Ecuadorian authority saying they would receive the ambassador and representatives on Tuesday, April 8 at 4:00 p.m.,” he said.

The response came quickly: “Which is a positive sign, because giving Ecuador the time to meet, having so many requests from other countries, is an important difference.”

Ecuador and the United States

“During the meeting, Ecuador reinforced its commitment to work on key aspects to improve trade conditions with the United States and also see ways to generate some kind of trade agreement that can further strengthen the relationship,” Hidalgo said.

Authorities also showcased and explained Ecuador’s actions during this time, which were then communicated to President Trump.

At the same time, private-sector members had a session at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. “We stated that we are working hand in hand with the public and private sectors to adapt quickly, to work and promote the initiatives required by any of the countries, so that we can expand our exportable supply to the U.S.”

Hidalgo said they value the United States’ openness to meeting with Ecuadorian authorities. “Our role is to maintain good relations with all countries, and with the United States, there is a very important agenda that goes beyond investments and trade.”

“We are pleased that they have announced that the next meeting of the Trade and Investment Council will be held in Ecuador in July, so we will be ready to move forward,” he said.

United States

Hidalgo noted that the U.S. market operates through contracts, so any variation mid-year affects trade.

The Association of Banana Importers of the United States spoke out regarding the tariffs, stating, “They would have effects on the consumption of our product.”

“We are sure that contracts will be respected, and we can move this forward. Today we are in the same position as all the competition,” said Hidalgo.

He argued that when product costs increase, “any origins that compete in that market will suffer challenges. We will wait to see how this develops.”

Given the fast-changing nature of the information, Hidalgo said, “We will continue to monitor and work on the details to improve trade in the list published every year by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”

“We are constantly informed of everything that is happening and always react to manage excellent relationships with all our trading partners,” he concluded.

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