Efectos del tratado de libre comercio con la Unión Europea sobre las exportaciones de banano de Ecuador. Periodo 2017- 2022.

Abstract

The objective of this research is to determine how effective the free trade agreement has been in relation to banana exports, to promote the exportable product in question. The selected methodology has a mixed approach, due to the implementation of both quantitative and qualitative techniques, with a type of descriptive-correlational scope. The information was obtained through official secondary sources and from the interviews carried out with different agents of the banana sector. Within the quantitative approach, the estimation and interpretation of two econometric models was carried out based on the data and on the selected variables with the support of economic theory. The first model was estimated in three different scenarios with respect to the amount of data taken into consideration, over time, since the entry into force of the treaty, this in order to obtain results plus prices. It is concluded that the free trade agreement with the European Union has had positive effects on banana exports from Ecuador, which indicates that the lower tariff obtained as a benefit of the treaty has had an impact on the increase in banana exports, considering the results presented by the descriptive analysis, the econometric models, and the perception of the agents within the sector. In the last instance, different proposals are put forward to obtain growth within the banana export sector and consequently in exports.