Ecuador has agreed to receive Russian specialists for the inspection of banana cultivation enterprises, according to the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor). The confirmation followed negotiations between Rosselkhoznadzor head Sergei Dankvert and Ecuadorian Agriculture Minister Franklin Danilo Palacios Marquez, who both serve as co-chairs of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.
"He [Palacios] expressed readiness to receive Russian specialists for inspecting Ecuadorian banana cultivation enterprises," Rosselkhoznadzor said after the meeting.
The parties agreed to hold technical negotiations regarding the inspections, with Ecuador committing to provide lists of companies interested in exporting bananas to Russia.
Russian specialists previously conducted inspections in Ecuador in April 2025, reviewing quarantine certification systems after the discovery of the polyphagous humpback fly in bananas imported from Ecuador earlier in the year. However, Dankvert stated in June that Rosselkhoznadzor was not satisfied with the outcome. "The Ecuadorian side needs to systematize the number of exporters and provide us with a list," he said.
Ecuador supplies around 1.4 million tons of bananas to Russia annually. In 2024, imports reached 1.3 million tons, while during the current period of 2025, deliveries stood at 883,300 tons.
Negotiations also covered broader aspects of trade and economic cooperation. Dankvert noted that the current level of Russian-Ecuadorian trade does not reflect the potential of both economies and said volumes should increase. Ecuador ranked second among Latin American countries in trade turnover with Russia last year. Russian exports mainly include fertilizers and petroleum products, while bananas remain the primary Ecuadorian export.
The discussions concluded with an agreement to hold the seventh meeting of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission in Moscow on October 7–8, 2025.
Source: Interfax