Ecuador has taken a significant step in expanding its avocado market, with a series of advancements that have allowed it to increase exports to key markets such as the United States, Argentina, and Canada. Santiago Pinto Díaz, director of Interanza, highlights the sector's achievements in recent years and explains how the country has overcome phytosanitary and tariff challenges to establish itself as a strong competitor in the global avocado industry.

The process of accessing international markets began several years ago, when Ecuador faced restrictions on exporting its goods to countries like Canada. Until a year ago, Ecuadorian avocados could not enter the North American country due to the lack of a phytosanitary protocol compatible with the U.S. system. This created a considerable obstacle, since most of the fruit that arrives in Canada comes through U.S. ports, making direct exports from Ecuador difficult.

However, the situation changed in 2023 when Ecuador successfully established the IPHIS phytosanitary protocol, which opened the door to avocado exports to Canada. Furthermore, the recently signed free trade agreement between Ecuador and Canada has eliminated tariffs on Ecuadorian products, further facilitating access to the Canadian market. "With this agreement, Ecuador now has unrestricted access, with the U.S. phytosanitary protocol, and products can be shipped through American ports at competitive prices," explains Pinto.

The advance into the US market has also been key in this process. Pinto mentions that the final phase of the phytosanitary protocol with the United States is practically complete, and it is expected that by the middle of this year, Ecuadorian avocados will be able to enter this important market without restrictions. "The United States is about to fully open up to Ecuadorian products," he notes.

Another market of interest for Ecuador is Argentina, which has also begun its process of opening up to avocado imports. Interanza, a leading exporter of this fruit, is in the final stages of preparation to supply the Argentine market in the coming weeks, complying with all established phytosanitary requirements.

The outlook for Ecuadorian avocados is increasingly promising, with rising production of high-quality fruit and diversifying markets. Pinto Díaz emphasizes that the challenge now is to continue increasing the production of quality avocados to meet growing international demand. "The key is to maintain quality standards and ensure we can supply these markets without losing competitiveness," he concludes.

With these improvements in trade and phytosanitary protocols, Ecuador has taken a firm step towards becoming a key player in the global avocado industry, with Interanza leading the way in exporting this fruit to strategic markets.