On September 19, 2024, the Governments of the United States and Ecuador held the inaugural meeting of the Trade and Environment Committee of the Trade and Investment Council.

Kelly Milton, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources, and Edwin Vásquez, Under Secretary for Negotiations, and Ángel Sandoval, Under Secretary of Climate Change, led the delegations of the United States and Ecuador, respectively. Both countries reaffirmed the importance of prioritizing and advancing trade policies that support the countries’ shared environment and climate goals. They also discussed the Work Plan on Trade and Environment and reviewed priorities and activities for the coming year, including on sustainable fisheries management and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; promoting more resource efficient and circular economies; and sustainable critical minerals supply chains. During the meeting, the Committee also exchanged information and experiences on sustainable forest management and trade, including on timber traceability and chain of custody, and the enforcement of environmental laws related to forests. The United States and Ecuador affirmed a shared interest to further collaborate to address challenges in forest sector governance and to continue combating illegal logging and associated trade.

The Committee agreed to hold a series of technical meetings into 2025, and will convene following this series of meetings to review progress made through the Work Plan on Trade and Environment and identify priorities and future activities for continued collaboration