Ecuadorian business leaders on Wednesday criticized import restrictions announced by President Rafael Correa, warning the measure could worsen the country's trade.
The president is attempting to handle the ongoing international financial crisis by restricting imports, but Cesar Espinosa, leader of the Chamber Council of Production, said the measure is disputable.
Espinoza said the World Trade Organization (WTO) may question the restrictions, and those countries that are Ecuador's export destinations may restrict Ecuador's exports in retaliation.
On Tuesday, Correa announced the decision to prohibit the importation of at least 25 kinds of products.
The president criticized the importation of too many expensive products in 2008. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the importation of candies worth about 65 million U.S. dollars, cell phones worth 250 million dollars, vehicles and auto parts worth 1.121 billion dollars, and 100 million dollars worth of perfumes.
Correa said expensive imports should be limited this year.
Bernardo Traversari, the executive director of the Ecuadorian-North American Chamber, said the chamber held a meeting with Correa.
It was a step on the right direction to build regular communications between the government and the business sector, but it was still not enough, the director said.
Traversari complained that the government "tells us what it has decided, what it has solved, but we would like... that the decisions be agreed."
Source:Xinhua
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