Ecuador sends one million roses to China in just three days

Guayaquil.- Ecuador sent a million roses to China in just three days, an export classified by the Government as a "milestone that sets a precedent" for other products after the entry into force in 2024 of the trade agreement between both countries, announced this Wednesday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Our roses, recognized worldwide for their unique beauty and incomparable quality, represent not only the effort of our flower growers, but also the spirit of excellence of Ecuador," highlighted in a video Soledad Córdova, the ambassador of Ecuador in China.

The roses arrived at the port of Shanghai on August 22nd, to be the stars of the celebrations for Chinese Valentine's Day, which was commemorated on the 29th of the same month. Córdova pointed out that the arrival of the flowers in 72 hours was carried out in coordination with the Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com. "Thanks to its transportation and cooling technology, these flowers arrived fresh and radiant," he mentioned.

"This milestone sets a precedent for other Ecuadorian products such as blueberries, asparagus, broccoli, proteins, among others, to also conquer this market," added the diplomat.

The shipment, said Córdova, is a reflection of the cooperation between the public and private sectors and the use of the free trade agreement signed with the Asian country, which came into force last year and through which 60% of the products that Ecuador exports to China were immediately exempt from tariffs and the rest will be gradually eliminated over a period of ten years.

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In the case of roses, which previously paid a 10% tariff, they will have a five-year tax reduction. To ensure that the roses arrive at their optimal freshness, JD.com ensured that it used a "sophisticated three-stage temperature control process" which includes pre-cooling to 4 degrees, transportation at a constant temperature of 2 to 8 degrees, patented packaging that retains moisture, and an accelerated customs clearance of one and a half hours, as detailed by the company in a statement. In 2022, the Asian giant displaced the United States as the main non-oil trading partner of the Andean country. However, despite the entry into force of the trade agreement, Ecuadorian exports to China had fallen almost 12% until November 2024, compared to the first eleven months of 2023, according to data from the Government itself. This was mainly due to the fall in shrimp prices, of which China is Ecuador's main buyer, and the electricity crisis that led to a period of more than two months of daily blackouts and the suspension of activities of Ecuador's industrial mines, such as Mirador, operated by the Chinese Ecuacorriente, which caused copper shipments to fall.

However, from January to July of this year, non-oil exports to the Asian giant grew by 12.6% ($3.39 billion) compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Central Bank published this Wednesday by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Production.