Today, at the Pacific Alliance Summit in Mexico, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, and Julio José Prado, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries of Ecuador, launched exploratory talks toward a potential free trade agreement between Canada and Ecuador.
In the coming weeks, Global Affairs Canada will consult with Canadians to seek their views on potential free trade agreement negotiations with Ecuador. These consultations will help frame Canada's approach to such talks.
Canada and Ecuador are important commercial partners in the hemisphere and share commitments to democracy, human rights and the international rules-based system. Two-way trade between the two countries is rapidly growing and provides investment opportunities for Canadian and Ecuadorian companies alike.
Ecuador is a key partner in advancing inclusive trade and has indicated an interest in joining Canada and other participating economies in the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement. Canada looks forward to welcoming Ecuador's participation in this trade initiative, which is important to supporting a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
