Non-oil sales grow a weak 0.4%

Ecuadornews:

From January to April, the country billed $ 4,363 million in exports. Bananas and tuna, with less sales.

Non-oil products continue to show weak growth. After the end of April, exports barely grew by 0.4% after reaching $ 4,363 million in sales, well below the 3.4% obtained by imports, if we compare the results of the same period last year.

According to figures from the Chamber of Commerce of Quito, this weakness was marked by lower banana sales of $ 1,176 million, down 1.2% versus January-April 2018. Canned tuna sales also had a setback (-2.1%), after reaching $ 349 million.

If non-traditional sales are observed, the greatest fall is recorded in vegetable oils and extracts, gold and canned fruits and vegetables, with decreases of -40.4%, -20.6% and -15.4 %, respectively.

Imports, on the other hand, had an upturn that was mainly driven by the purchase of rolled, stretched or bent iron or steel products; television transmitting and broadcasting apparatus and electrical apparatus, and pulp, paper and cardboard. These grew by 7%, 11% and 7.2%, respectively.

The business association attributes the weakening of sales to the lack of competitiveness that affects the productive sector. The high cost of local production, he explains, makes Ecuadorian products become less attractive in the international market, thus originating the entry of less dollars into the country. (I)

Source: https://www.expreso.ec/economia/ventas-no-petroleras-crecen-debilmente-FJ2902135