The Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Trade, Sonsoles Garcia, spoke in a televised interview on Ecuavisa about the country’s technical justification regarding Russia’s phytosanitary authority reviewing the ban on imports of Ecuadorian bananas. The minister emphasized that the government intends to resolve the matter with a technical lens, and that Ecuador is prepared to address any objections to banana exports with substantiated evidence. The necessary documentation has been provided to the Russian side to support their review.
During the February 2 briefing, Garcia noted that Rosselkhoznadzor has raised concerns about the safety of Ecuadorian bananas entering Russia. The Russian agency had requested a suspension of banana certification effective February 5 for five exporters found to violate established requirements. It was stated by Rosselkhoznadzor that a dangerous quarantine organism, the polyphagous shot hole fly, was repeatedly detected in shipments from Ecuador.
The dialogue continues as Ecuador and Russia explore the path to settle the issue through technical verification and adherence to phytosanitary standards. The discussion reflects ongoing cooperation and the intent to maintain safe trade flows while addressing compliance concerns raised by Russia’s authorities.
Historical context shows Brazil and other banana-exporting nations have also navigated similar regulatory challenges in the past, prompting a focus on supply chain integrity and proactive compliance by exporters. This situation underscores the importance of rigorous pest control measures, transparent reporting, and swift corrective actions to ensure continued access to international markets.