María Cecilia Gutiérrez has been in the Netherlands for seven months now as Ecuador's new Trade Commissioner for the Benelux region. Based in The Hague, she represents Ecuador's commercial interests in a market that she describes as very different from the United States, where she previously worked for more than five years. With flowers at the heart of Ecuador's exports, the Dutch market plays a key role in her mission.
© Trade Office of Ecuador in The Hague
From New York to Europe
María holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business from Florida International University in Miami. After graduating, she started her own business before moving into trade promotion. "I had the opportunity to start working for Pro Ecuador in New York as a trade advisor, and I was there for about five years," she explains.
The northeastern United States is Ecuador's most important export region in that market. "We call New York the third biggest city in Ecuador because of how many Ecuadorians live in the Tri-State area," she notes. "Most of our products go to New York, with distribution through Connecticut and New Jersey."
After completing her mission in New York, she was promoted to Trade Commissioner and relocated to the Netherlands. "The U.S. market was very familiar to me," she says. "Coming to Europe, especially the Netherlands, which for us is the door to Europe, is very different."
A different market mindset
According to María, the differences between the U.S. and European markets are significant. "The U.S. is a price market. The one with the best price usually gets the business," she explains. "Here in Europe, it's much more focused on sustainability, certifications, and health."
This shift opens new opportunities. "Some health products that are very difficult to position in the U.S. actually have a lot of potential here," she says. "The U.S. market is very mature for Ecuador, while Europe still offers room to grow."
© Trade Office of Ecuador in The Hague
Flowers remain the core business
Flowers are the top priority for Ecuador's trade agenda in the Netherlands. "The flower industry is the most important one for this office," María states.
Her first IFTF visit confirmed Ecuador's strong presence. "Once you go to the show, you realize many of the companies are Ecuadorian," she says. "Ecuadorian companies are all over the show."
Still, she sees room for improvement. "As a country, we need to work more as one block, like Colombia does," she explains. "We also need to work on logistics between Ecuador and the Netherlands, both air freight and ports."
Despite exporting larger volumes, Ecuador faces higher freight costs. "We export more than Colombia, but they have better prices," she says. "That's something we need to work on."
What sets Ecuador apart, however, is quality. "We do have the best quality, and we are blessed by where our country is positioned," she emphasizes. "Being in the middle of the world gives us special colors in our roses. The quality comes from where we are."
© Trade Office of Ecuador in The Hague
Innovation beyond roses
While roses open doors, long-term growth depends on diversification. "We always have to innovate," María says. "Roses are established, everyone knows their quality, but we need to keep introducing new products."
At IFTF, tropical flowers drew significant attention. "We only had one company showing tropical flowers, but everyone wanted to know more about them," she recalls. Gypsophila was another product that stood out. "That was also very popular this year, and several Ecuadorian companies presented it."
Resilience during challenges
Recent political unrest in Ecuador raised concerns about logistics, but María stresses that exports continued. "There were some farms damaged, but nothing really disturbed the logistics chain," she says. "Ecuadorians are very resilient."
She adds, "What matters most is never stopping production and never stopping exports. No matter the political climate, our commercial side keeps going."
That resilience is deeply rooted. "We Ecuadorians are entrepreneurs at heart," she says. "When problems come up, we find solutions."
© Trade Office of Ecuador in The Hague
Building visibility in the Benelux
Since arriving in the Netherlands, María has focused on visibility and connection. "This is a new market for me, so I asked myself: how do I get into the minds of importers, how do I make business, and how do I let people know there's a new person here?"
She began organizing small promotional events. One example was a cooking demonstration using Ecuadorian products tailored to the European market. Another involved promoting Ecuadorian coffee through local cafés. "If someone bought anything, they would get a free Ecuadorian coffee," she explains. "It was very successful."
"These small events allow people to try Ecuadorian products and see what we can do," she says.
© Trade Office of Ecuador in The Hague
One Ecuadorian brand
Looking ahead, María wants to strengthen Ecuador's image as a unified origin. "We are working on Ecuador as one brand," she says. "With a new logo and the slogan 'Bright Intensity,' the idea is for all of us to work together."
For flowers and beyond, her message is clear: "Ecuador should not only be seen as a supplier of commodities. We have quality, innovation, and stories of origin that Europe is ready to hear."
For more information:
María Cecilia Gutiérrez
+31 70 346 95 63
[email protected]
