"Ecuador-China free trade agreement poses serious environmental risks, critics say" 24 January 2024

Ecuador’s new free trade agreement with China is getting backlash from critics worried about public health risks and potential damage to the environment.

The agreement, which was signed last May but still needs approval in Ecuador’s National Assembly, has come under fire for policies that could overwhelm the country’s waste disposal systems, increase deforestation and let polluting companies off the hook, among other issues...

The agreement... also allows Chinese waste to enter the country that will be difficult to process, including pharmaceutical products, electrical parts, batteries, scrap metal, plastics, glass and contaminated liquids... “With this free trade agreement, Ecuador is going to turn into a garbage dump,” said Esther Cuesta, a member of the National Assembly, during a debate earlier this month...

The agreement also includes exports of bananas, coffee, citrus fruits and other monoculture crops that could exacerbate deforestation, as farmers in the country will likely want to expand products exempt from tariffs, some organizations pointed out...

The agreement also mentions creating a friendly environment for Chinese investors by facilitating the application process for permits needed in the mining, oil, agriculture and energy sectors, among others. That could prove disastrous, critics said, given Ecuador’s poor track record with oil spills, gas flares and other forms of contamination.

“Ecuador has already experienced many crimes committed by Chinese companies against human, collective and natural rights. It’s unacceptable that, with this [agreement], these investments are protected even more,” said a statement published by 97 organizations in Ecuador opposing the agreement...