Ecuador President in China: From “Equatorial Rose” to Oriental Scents, Boosting Fragrance Ties

From August 16 to 23,2026, the President of Ecuador paid his first state visit to China. On August 18–19, the President and Premier of China held bilateral talks and meetings with their Ecuadorian counterparts; both sides agreed to continue effectively implementing the China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement and expand the scale of bilateral trade. China has explicitly expressed its willingness to import more high-quality Ecuadorian agricultural and food products. Beyond popular commodities such as white shrimp, bananas, and cocoa, the roses, preserved flowers, and potential natural essential oil resources of the "Equatorial Country" are emerging as an underlying driving force behind the new round of supply chain upgrades for Chinese fragrance, home fragrance, and emotional consumption brands, benefiting from the dual advantages of diplomatic engagement and the free trade agreement.

Ecuador is situated at the junction of the equator and the Andes Mountains; its high altitude, intense sunlight, and volcanic soil confer natural advantages, resulting in fresh-cut flowers with thick stems, a prolonged blooming period, and a rich, layered fragrance. Following the entry into force of the China–Ecuador Free Trade Agreement in May 2024, China's import tariff on fresh flowers from Ecuador was gradually reduced from 5%–20% to zero. Supporting 24/7 green channel systems have been established at ports including Beijing and Shanghai, reducing the fastest delivery time from flower picking to domestic shelving to just 72 hours, while the import cost per flower has decreased by RMB 1–2.

The recent visit of the Ecuadorian President to China appears to be a matter of political and economic agenda on the surface, but at its core, it has presented the Chinese fragrance industry with a "Equator Raw Materials Brand": as free trade agreements eliminate tariff barriers and state-led diplomacy reduces trust costs, South American roses, cocoa, and the plant-derived scents found in the moist Atlantic air are no longer merely materials for florists—but have become legitimate assets for domestic fragrance brands to tell the story of "global traceability and Eastern reinvention." The next step worth monitoring is whether Ecuador will include fragrance ingredients such as vanilla, jasmine, and white orchid in its high-value-added agricultural and food exports list to China—this would truly elevate China-Ecuador fragrance cooperation from the realm of "flowers" to that of "fragrances."