Posted 24/05/2025 11:16
In Ecuador, South American country, the Ecuador line crosses the Andes. At 6 am, in a rose plantation of the Green Hoja Farm, located at the Cayambe volcano – one of the main producing regions of the country – workers begin to enter the greenhouses to pick up the roses manually.
“The altitude, sunny hours and climatic conditions of Ecuador offer a perfect environment for cultivation,” explained Hernan Davila, sales manager at Hoja Verde. “Our roses have a stable quality and are very popular in the Chinese market,” he added, noting that the farm has been selling flowers to China for several years.
It is a race against time. In the plantation, the workers cut, disinfect, pack roses in cardboard boxes and carry them in trucks. At the airport, the boxes are placed in 2–8 degrees Celsius -refrigerated containers and then charged on aircraft. In high season, about 30 flights depart daily from Quito, Ecuador’s capital, to various parts of the world. The trip to Beijing involves two connections and lasts approximately 40 hours.
Thanks to the “green channel” for importing fresh flowers, roses receive priority in customs controls and complete the process in just 1.5 hours after landing. Thus, the flowers reach the hands of Chinese consumers at least three days after the harvest.
The success of Ecuadorian roses in China is due to profound commercial cooperation between the two countries. China has been, for years, Ecuador’s second largest commercial partner and the main export destination for its non -oil products.
On May 1, 2024, the Free Trade Agreement between China and Ecuador came into force, through which both parties would gradually eliminate tariffs on about 90% of products. For items such as flowers, bananas, white prawns, fish, fish oils, dried flowers, cocoa and coffee, Chinese tariffs-ranging from 5% to 20%-would be gradually reduced to zero.
According to data from the Beijing Customs, since the entry into force of the agreement, the Customs of the Capital International Airport has processed 128 lots of approximately 500,000 Ecuadorian roses, with a total weight of over 40 tons.
“Since the celebration of festivities such as Valentine’s Day in China are different from those of many other countries, the Chinese market has become a main option for Ecuadorian exports during low season,” said Andrés Mancero, director of Ecuadorian company Valdani Trading, specializing in rose exports to China and resident in the country for years.
“China is a market with great potential. With the gradual elimination of tariffs, Ecuadorian roses will have more competitiveness in price,” he added.
“Since the entry into force of the agreement, we have saved about 60,000 yuans in tariffs and other costs,” commented Wang Law, director of Beijing Jingke Hongxiang Import and Export Trade, located in the wholesale wangsying market in the Chinese capital. In this context, the price of each Ecuadorian rose has decreased between 1 and 2 yuans, making them more accessible to Chinese consumers.
Recently disclosed by China’s General Customs Administration indicates that bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $ 3.915 billion in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 34.17% compared to the same period of 2024.
The volume of Chinese imports from Ecuador reached $ 2.339 billion, a growth of 42.8%. According to the Ecuador National Aquaculture Association, exports of white shrimp-the main Ecuadorian product exported to China-reached $ 280 million in January this year, an increase of 25% compared to January of the previous year.
“China is the largest food importer in the world, and the free trade agreement is a strategic opportunity for Ecuador,” said an article published on the website of the country’s Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries.
“While Ecuador has high quality products such as seafood, fruits and grains, China’s acceptance for high quality imported products has been growing gradually,” said Mancero, who expects to expand rose trade to other products.
Ecuadorian exporters of Quinoa, blueberries and pineapples are currently requesting Chinese phytosanitary certificates to export their products without tax.
In February this year, Ecuador first exported tuna cans to China with zero tariff.
“China has a great potential for quality fishing products. We hope Ecuadorian Tuna is as successful as the white shrimps,” said Ricardo Herrera, director of the Ecuadorian company Tecopesca, specializing in tuna exports to China.
“The free trade agreement offers consumers of both countries most varied options and is a mutual benefit,” he added.
“Many Pitaya and blueberries in Ecuador use supplementary light lamps produced in China to improve the production and quality of their harvests,” said Zhang Pengxiang, advisor to the Ecuador-China Chamber of Commerce. According to him, rates for Chinese products such as machines, electronic equipment, cars and their pieces are being gradually reduced, which helps Ecuador modernize their industries.
Source: People’s Diary online
Source: vermelho.org.br
