Ecuador is located in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, also by the Pacific Ocean on the west. Although the country is relatively small it has many faces. They include Andean peaks, tropical rainforests and 1.000 km (600miles) of the coast, the volcanic Galapagos Island. It is as well the home for many animals and birds.  The country has around 14 million habitants and straddles the equator from which took its name.

In terms of the economy Ecuador has substantial petroleum resources and rich agricultural areas. The major exported products are: oil, bananas, flowers, shrimp and tuna. That is why factors like oil prices and weather phenomenon El Nino have a huge influence on the economic situation.

The tuna export it is one of the principal seafood and is provided as pouched and canned in oil and brine, frozen or fresh. Special packing in tomato sauce and other liquids is also offered from select canneries.

Considering two biggest tuna markets, the EU and the USA, the South American country exported together a volume 109.916 M/T of tuna in 2007. The sum of the export was 1% larger and increased from 109.117 M/T in the previous year.

Europe was the first destination with 91.343 M/T over last year, 8% more. The growth was caused by canned tuna, the principal form in the assortment. The second most important export tuna item to Europe is frozen pre-cooked loins, and to much lesser extend frozen whole round and frozen raw loins.

The volume of canned tuna to the EU equaled 64.621 M/T or 7.277.525 cartons (48x185g) in 2007 and went up by 27% from 5.737.838 units. Still the majority of the volume went to Spain but last year it was 2% less,  when the Netherlands received 55%  volume extra and maintained the second position with 1.717.342 cases. Moreover Ecuador provided also more canned tuna to Germany which absorbed 1.090.315 cartons, more than double the rate in 2006.

Over 2007 Ecuador was the leading exporter of canned tuna to the EU with a 12% market share  and lead over big exporters like Thailand, Seychelles or Spain.

The second tuna item delivered to the EU was frozen pre-cooked loins which volume went surprisingly down by 16% from 31.448 M/T to 26.330 M/T, thus indicating that more production is switched to more added value (cans), and away from a more basic product such as precooked loins. Also the quantity of frozen whole round item decreased by 81% and landed at the level of 343 M/T when frozen raw loins shrank by 65% and equaled only 49 M/T.

Ecuador’s second most important tuna destination is the USA. During 2007 the country supplied 18.573 M/T tuna which was 25% less than the year before when the export was 24.788 M/T. The year was a pure disaster due to such a drop. Even export of pouched tuna which was seen by Ecuador as the great promise of the future, has plummeted.

Ecuador sold 14.256 M/T of pouched item to the USA last year which was a reduction of 8%.

Canned tuna fell by 57% from 53.738 cartons (48x170g) to 23.223 through last year. And frozen pre-cooked loins decreased by 65% and landed with 1.419 M/T.

Ecuador was U.S.’s fourth tuna exporter in 2007 after Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.

Dramatically low Eastern Pacific catches, combined with increased demand from Europe with its strong currency , and more production for the domestic Latin American markets are seen as the main causes of the Ecuadorian tuna exports to the USA.

Ecuador is also the place for tuna canneries, for example for StarKist’s (owned by Del Monte), Bumble Bee and Salica del Ecuador (owned by Spanish Group Albacora), Isabel ( owned by Isabel Spain) .

Manta, Quayaguil and Posorja are the most important Ecuadorian cities in terms of the tuna industry

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