Ecuador trade move would hit $4.3 bln of imports-WTO

GENEVA, April 7 (Reuters) - Ecuador's measures to restrict imports to defend its balance of payments would affect $4.3 billion of its 2008 imports, or 23 percent of the total, according to a World Trade Organisation report.

The report, dated April 6 and published on the WTO website, was drawn up in preparation for a meeting on April 22 of the WTO's Committee on Balance of Payments Restrictions, where Ecuador will seek a temporary waiver from WTO rules.

Ecuador, whose trade balance has been battered by the global recession, imposed the restrictions in January on imports from Colombian bubblegum to Chinese shoes.

The move has strained relations with its Latin American trading partners, and Quito threatened last month to withdraw the world's largest banana exporter from the four-nation Andean trade bloc CAN if they reject its move.

CAN also includes Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

The restrictions cover 8.7 of products imported into Ecuador, with some goods attracting an additional tariff of 30 or 35 percent of value.

Textiles and clothing will pay an extra duty of $12 a kilo, while shoes will pay an extra $10 a pair.

For other products Ecuador has imposed import quotas of 65 or 70 percent of the 2008 value.

The WTO report lays out the impact on exports of Ecuador's major trading partners, and on products.

 1. EXPORTS OF TRADING PARTNER (2007 FIGURES) AFFECTED BY MEASURES
COUNTRY    2007 EXPORTS AFFECTED   SHARE OF THAT COUNTRY'S 2007 EXPORTS TO ECUADOR
Colombia      $575 million                                 38.6 pct
China             $475 million                                 42.3 pct
U.S.                $303 million                                10.8 pct
Peru               $147 million                                 30.6 pct
Chile              $167 million                                 almost one third
Source: WTO

 2. MAIN PRODUCTS AFFECTED
PRODUCT               EXPORTER          2007 EXPORT VOLUME
trucks                            Japan                       $213 mln
cars                                South Korea            $197 mln
trucks                            Thailand                  $172 mln
cars                                Japan                       $135 mln
cars                                Colombia                 $59 mln
trucks                            Colombia                 $51 mln
motorbikes                  China                        $40 mln
television sets              Panama                   $39 mln
shoes                             China                        $38 mln
radio sets                      Panama                   $36 mln
toilet paper, tissues    Colombia                $35 mln
apples and pears         Chile                        $33 mln
food preparations       Chile                        $32 mln
Source: WTO