Ecuador and Panama Set a Technical Path Toward a Partial-Scope Trade Agreement

Ecuador and Panama have signed terms of reference that mark the beginning of negotiations for a partial-scope economic complementarity agreement. The step was formalized in Guayaquil after a meeting involving José Mulino of Panama and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador.

The terms of reference define the agreement’s general scope. They do not yet set tariff schedules, final market-access commitments, or an implementation date.

The next stage is technical

The Consejo Empresarial Ecuatoriano-Panameño (CEEP) expects to work with government officials on a technical agenda. Gabriela Uquillas, the council’s executive president, said the private sector wants to contribute information about products with realistic opportunities in Panama.

Panama matters beyond its domestic market. The source describes the country as a logistics, services, and financial hub, while Ecuador is a major user of the Panama Canal. That makes the negotiation relevant to both product access and the movement of goods.

Where companies see opportunity

Uquillas identified potential across industrial footwear, clothing, appliances, furniture, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. The logic is that Panamanian imports can also provide visibility into wider Central American and Caribbean markets.

She said the agreement should be measured beyond Panama’s 4 million inhabitants. Her expectation is that trade could increase by as much as 50% over five years. That is an industry expectation, not a signed target or an official forecast.

Existing commercial links

The CEEP was founded by seven large companies from Ecuador and Panama with bilateral investments and businesses. The source names Supermaxi and Grupo Rey, Pronaca and Toledano, Banco Pichincha, Grupo Eljuri and AustroBank, Danec, Colineal, and Copa Airlines among the existing links.

The business signal is option value with an execution test. Companies that could benefit from Panama access have a reason to join the technical discussion now, but the commercial outcome depends on what the governments put into the negotiated text.

What to watch

• The technical agenda expected to be developed during the week of September 8.
• Product groups that Ecuadorian exporters place before the negotiators.
• Any published tariff, customs, rules-of-origin, or services commitments.
• Whether the five-year trade-growth expectation becomes an official objective or remains a private-sector estimate.

Source: El Universo