Análisis de los beneficios obtenidos en el comercio exterior, integración y cooperación regional entre Ecuador y la comunidad andina 2017-2021.

Abstract

The process of economic integration and free trade agreements (FTAs) are developed under opposite parameters, on the one hand, there are those who argue that globalization and free trade agreements exacerbate inequality, so it is necessary to devise tactics to face it because if free trade develops in an open and trans-regional equivalent for symmetrical economies, it can be ideal. The Andean Community began its constitution process in 1969, going through various internal and external processes in the face of globalization. It has been in operation for more than half a century and is like one of the strongest integration processes in the subregion. Formed by countries of the Andean region, whose objective is to promote the commercial, economic, political and social relations of its member countries, to improve the quality of life of the Andean peoples to the implementation of programs that reduce the rates of poverty and inequality. Ecuador is a country that has trade agreements with several countries, including its relationship with the CAN, so this study aims to analyze the advantages obtained by Ecuador in terms of foreign trade, regional integration and cooperation with the Andean Community (CAN) in the period 2017-2021, in order to generate current knowledge about the situation of the country and its position within the CAN block in relation to other member countries, through the use of not only numerical data, which will be collected in the using indexes promoted by ECLAC, but also a documentary review. To do this, it was developed under the qualitative approach, with a type of descriptive research. For the collection of data, it was decided to use the interview with professionals in order to know the present case of Ecuador as a member of the CAN. According to the interviews carried out, it can be said that Ecuador should prioritize the growth of competitiveness and investment of its companies with the aim of generating added cost goods, attractive for markets around the world and thus obtain an advantage over member nations. Take advantage of the devaluation of these to unload costs and enter world markets at lower prices than Ecuadorian products, which is a problem for Ecuador before the member nations. Throughout the study, the lack of commitment of the member countries is evident and how this affects the progress of the integration process, and as a result of the analysis, Ecuadorian foreign trade had an adequate participation in intra-community exports, in addition to a greater degree of openness than Peru and Colombia, which intensifies the deficit because they are the countries where much more is exported. In conclusion, it can be said that the Andean Society, since the establishment of a free trade area in 1993, has sought to provide facilities and tools of foreign trade for the benefit of the bloc, however, the lack of commitment to link the Member States has made impossible its objective of being an exclusive market, still today it can’t trade as an economic bloc.