Ecuador to Accept Russian Specialists for Inspecting Its Banana Exports

Russia and Ecuador have been at some loggerheads concerning Russian imports of Ecuadorean bananas, with complaints concerning quality issues ongoing between the two countries. Ecuador is Russia’s largest supplier of the fruit, with exports to Russia reaching about 1.4 million tonnes worth over US$1 billion annually.

To help resolve the situation, Ecuador is now prepared to accept Russian specialists for inspecting banana cultivation enterprises, according to Ecuadorian Agriculture and Livestock Minister Franklin Danilo Palacios Marquez.

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has since stated that “Senor Palacios expressed readiness to receive Russian specialists for inspecting Ecuadorian banana cultivation enterprises and fish production facilities.” Palacios serves as a co-chair of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, along with Sergei Dankvert, the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, who also stated that “We have agreed to hold technical negotiations regarding inspections. The Ecuadorian side gave assurances that they would shortly provide lists of companies interested in supplying their products to Russia.”

Rosselkhoznadzor specialists first raised concerns about Ecuadorian bananas in late April this year, after the discovery of a dangerous plant pest, the polyphagous humpback fly, in imported bananas from Ecuador, and remained dissatisfied with the results of inspections of banana suppliers, stating at the time that “the Ecuadorian side needs to systematize the number of exporters and provide us with a list.”

Ecuador ranked second in trade turnover with Russia among Latin American countries last year. Key Russian exports included fertilizers and oil and petroleum products, while imports consisted of Ecuadorian agricultural products, including bananas, flowers, and shrimp. Imports of Ecuadorian cocoa beans to Russia also increased 40-fold to 4,700 tonnes last year.

The next meeting of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission will be held on October 7-8, 2025, in Moscow.