Ecuadorian businessmen reject import restrictions

QUITO, Jan. 7 (Chinese media) -- 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."