WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today representatives of the United States and the Republic of Ecuador convened a meeting of the U.S.-Ecuador Trade and Investment Council (TIC). The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Americas Everett Eissenstat, and included officials from a number of trade and regulatory agencies. The Ecuadorian side was led by Ivonne Garcés Almeida, Under Secretary for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration.
At the TIC meeting the two sides discussed a broad range of trade and investment-related issues, including the U.S.-Ecuador Bilateral Investment Treaty, worker rights, intellectual property, the Andean Trade Preference Act, technical barriers to trade and non-tariff measures.
"The United States welcomed this opportunity to enhance our dialogue with Ecuador on a range of trade and investment concerns," said Eissenstat. "This type of engagement is critical to promoting mutual understanding and the pursuit of shared interests with the Ecuadorian government, and we hope it will continue."
The U.S.-Ecuador TIC Agreement, which was signed in 1990, established a forum for the discussion of trade and investment matters between the two governments. The reactivation of the TIC was found by both sides to be a positive tool to promote mutual understanding on trade. Ecuadorian officials will be meeting tomorrow at the State Department under the auspices of the U.S.-Ecuador Bilateral Dialogue to discuss a broader range of issues.
