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This report serves as a road map for U.S. companies exporting to Ecuador. While Ecuador is a challenging market for U.S. food and agricultural products, it is also one of opportunities. Domestic production cannot meet consumer demand, necessitating continued imports.

The retail industry is an important component of Ecuador’s economy. The 2022 forecasts for retail food sales is $24.9 billion and for consumer expenditures on food, beverages, and tobacco is $15.9 billion. Excellent sales prospects exist for U.S. food products to supply this sector.

Nigeria has taken an increasingly active role in biotechnology research and development in Africa – spurred by the solid support of the Government of Nigeria (GON). In September 2022, Nigeria hosted regulators from Mozambique and Ethiopia to learn more about Nigeria’s biotechnology regulatory experience.

The legal and regulatory situation to allow the planting of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Ecuador remains relatively the same as 2021. Commercial cultivation of GE crops is not permitted, however cultivation for research is allowed and an exception exists for GE products without recombinant or foreign DNA in the genome. A ruling by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court in early 2022 now makes it more difficult for the President to authorize exceptions to the GE ban.

Nigeria wheat millers are diversifying their sources of wheat import due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. FAS Lagos (Post) estimates wheat imports for MY 2022/23 at 6 million metric ton (MMT), a 3 percent reduction from last year’s Post estimate. Meanwhile, insurgency and floods in the northern part of the country greatly impacted corn and rice production respectively.

This report identifies Ecuador’s import requirements for foreign export certificates, highlighting current procedures and identifying the relevant local agencies with oversight over these issues. An export certificate matrix and outline is included. This report supplements the FAS Quito Food and Agricultural Import Regulations (FAIRS) 2022 report.

This report outlines Ecuador’s requirements for food and agricultural product imports. It is a guide on the regulations that exporters need to consider in order to enter their products into the Ecuadorian market. Hyperlinks to ministries, agencies, and legal documents are provided throughout this report.

Nigeria continues to strive for self-sufficiency in oil palm production. Currently, production remains stable. Meanwhile, demand for palm oil outweighs supply. Nigeria meets the supply gap in oil palm through imports from Malaysia, China, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Coffee production for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 (April to March) is forecast at 354,000 60-kg bags of Green Bean Equivalent (GBE) basis, an increase of 36 percent over the MY 2021/2022 estimate of 261,000 60-kg bags, due an increase in expected area harvested and improved pruning techniques.

Nigeria’s current 10-year Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) will end next year – likely moving on to another 10-year Phase Two Plan. The growth in sugar consumption is expected to be driven by the food processing sector.

On May 4, 2022, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso appointed Mr. Bernardo Manzano as his 3rd Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

Sugar production in marketing year MY 2022/23 is forecast to decrease to 530,000 MT, down five percent from the MY 2020/21 estimate, due to fertilizer and pesticide price increases during 2021, and despite a slight increase in planted area of 1,000 hectares.