August 2026
50 articles
El Nino Is Turning Ecuador's Fishing Distance Into a Food-Price Signal
Warmer seas are pushing artisanal fishers farther offshore and raising reported prices for albacore and other species in Santa Elena. The episode shows how climate volatility can move through Ecuador's seafood supply chain.
Ecuador Economy Grew 2% in the First Half, With Services and Manufacturing Leading
The Central Bank says Ecuador's economy grew 2% year over year from January through June 2026. Services, manufacturing, construction, and commerce expanded, while petroleum, mining, and primary production contracted.
Ecuador-Singapore Memorandum Creates a Two-Year Trade and Digitalization Workstream
Ecuador and Singapore signed a two-year memorandum covering trade and economy, digitalization, governance, sustainability, public health, and education. The commercial signal is broad, but implementation milestones remain the key diligence question.
Ecuador Enters a September Dry Season With a 450 MW November Deficit Risk
The Vice Ministry of Electricity expects the hydroelectric dry season to begin in September and last into March 2027. Cenace projects a possible 450 MW November deficit, while government procurement delays have reduced the generation expected by December.
Ecuador-China Package Combines Seven Agreements With a USD 42.7M Cooperation Commitment
President Daniel Noboa reached Chengdu after Ecuador announced seven agreements and new commitments across energy, mining, infrastructure, trade, and technology. The package includes USD 42.7 million in non-reimbursable cooperation and the reported rehabilitation of eight shrimp exporters.
Guayaquil Employment Fair Offers 3,000 Vacancies, but the Market Data Is Still Incomplete
The Ministry of Labor is holding an 80-company job fair at the Instituto Tecnologico Bolivariano on August 21. The event offers about 3,000 vacancies while INEC has not yet published the June or second-quarter 2026 labor surveys.
Shanghai Business Leaders Signal Interest in Ecuador Renewable-Energy Projects
President Daniel Noboa used a business event in Shanghai to promote Ecuadorian goods and services and discuss potential investment in renewable energy. The meeting points to a commercial pipeline, not a completed transaction.
Progen Investigation Expands to 30 People as Ecuador Reopens Power-Contract Questions
Ecuador’s Fiscalía is seeking to add nine people to the Progen case, bringing the total number of investigated individuals to 30. The investigation concerns contracts for thermal generators and a reported potential loss above USD 100 million.
Only 18 Ecuadorian Car-Purchase Plan Firms Meet the Reported Legal Requirements
Ecuador’s programmed vehicle-purchase market has 7,669 contracts so far in 2026, but a trade group says only 18 companies meet the relevant capital and compliance requirements. The warning matters for consumers and financial operators.
Ecuador’s Export Mix Is Shifting From Cacao Toward Shrimp and Mining
Ecuador’s non-oil exports reached USD 7.3066 billion in Q1, while first-half shrimp exports rose to about USD 4.698 billion and mining exports to USD 2.631 billion. Cacao value fell 57.5% year over year, making mix and pricing the key analytical story.
Guayaquil Grain Terminal Faces Operator Transition Before El Niño Risk Peaks
The Guayaquil multipurpose grain terminal’s Andipuerto concession expires on November 26, 2026. The government is considering a transition while the port remains important for imported maize, soy, and wheat under an active El Niño alert.
Ecuador’s New Household Basket Now Tracks 98 Goods and Services
Ecuador’s INEC updated the basic household basket from 75 to 98 goods and services. The July 2026 reference cost is USD 825.17, with food and beverages plus housing and services representing about 77% of the total.
Ecuador’s Insurance Sector Gets New AML Compliance Duties
New anti-money-laundering rules for Ecuador’s insurance sector took effect August 17. They add compliance structures and deadlines across insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, and insurance brokers.
Davita’s Cendialcon Deal Puts Dialysis Payment Cycles Under the Microscope
Ecuador’s competition authority approved Davita’s acquisition of Cendialcon. The transaction sits inside a dialysis market where 88% of patients are referred to private clinics and Cendialcon reported USD 5.71 million in receivables.
Ecuador’s Egg Price Spike Is Also a Feed-Cost Story
Ecuador’s egg market is absorbing a reported 20% rise in the price of a 30-egg carton. The supply response is slow because new laying birds need about five months to enter production.
Puerto Bolívar Adds a USD 30M Refrigerated Logistics Asset
A USD 30 million refrigerated warehouse at Puerto Bolívar has reached 93% completion and entered technical testing. The asset is designed to give banana and other perishable exporters more flexibility between harvest and vessel schedules.
Ecuador Builds a Biodiversity-Finance Pipeline Before It Has a Deal Pipeline
Ecuadorian companies from aquaculture, agriculture, forestry, circular economy, and ecotourism are preparing to use biodiversity-linked financing. The current signal is capability-building and instrument design, not a newly announced issuance.
Ecuador-China Talks Put Shrimp Access and Coca Codo Into the Same Strategic Channel
Ecuador is using President Daniel Noboa's first state visit to China to pursue a broad economic agenda. The commercial watchpoints are suspended shrimp exporters, Coca Codo Sinclair, strategic-sector investment, and whether the meetings produce executable commitments.
BYD Brings Two Plug-In Hybrids Into Ecuador's Mobility-Technology Conversation
BYD used the 2026 Auto Show in Guayaquil to present two plug-in hybrid models. The event is a market signal for vehicle electrification, but the available report does not disclose local pricing, delivery, or sales commitments.
Ecuador Tightens Prior Controls on Mineral Exports to China
Ecuador has imposed prior controls on processed mineralized material headed to China, especially gold and copper. The policy responds to a highly concentrated destination market: China received 94.73% of Ecuador’s copper-concentrate export volume in the first half of 2026.
China to Lift Suspension of Eight Ecuadorian Shrimp Exporters
Ecuador says China will lift the export suspension affecting eight shrimp companies, according to the government’s account ahead of Daniel Noboa’s Asia trip. The wider agenda includes the Ecuador-China trade agreement, investment, and access for products from the Sierra Centro.
Mazar Reservoir Nears Full Level as August Inflows Fall Below Average
Mazar remains close to its maximum level, but inflows fell sharply in early August. The Paute complex has 1,757 MW of capacity, while a hydroelectric consultant says the pattern may indicate an early dry season ahead of October–March low-water conditions.
Ecuador Customs Revenue Reaches USD 168.57 Million in One Week
Ecuador’s customs service recorded USD 168.57 million in one week, 7.8% above the prior record and 74% above the 52-week average. Guayaquil Maritime District generated USD 102.83 million, with the result combining trade flow, customs assessment, and enforcement activity.
Electrified Vehicles Reach One-Quarter of Ecuador’s First-Half Sales
One in four vehicles sold in Ecuador during the first half of 2026 was hybrid or electric, while electric-vehicle sales tripled year over year. AutoShow Guayaquil is showcasing models priced from USD 15,990 to USD 61,890 across conventional hybrid, plug-in, range-extended, and fully electric technologies.
Ecuador Advances Three-Phase Plan for 222 Temporary Judges
Ecuador’s Council of the Judiciary approved a three-phase methodology to appoint 222 temporary judges during the judicial emergency declared in July. The process addresses court capacity but leaves open questions about the duration and institutional safeguards of temporary appointments.
BIESS Credicasa Passes USD 53.69 Million in Housing Disbursements
BIESS says Credicasa has disbursed more than USD 53.69 million through over 1,030 mortgage loans, reaching 22 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces. The program’s 2.99% rate and stated 30–45-day disbursement window are relevant to housing demand and construction activity.
Ecuador Wants Tax Incentives Tied More Closely to Results
Ecuador is reviewing its tax-incentive system under the ACE 2040 agenda, with a proposed emphasis on results rather than broad eligibility. The redesign could affect how companies evaluate future investment support.
Ecuador’s Seguro Joven Has 16,500 Affiliates. The Formalization Gap Is Larger.
Seguro Joven has reached 16,500 affiliates, while Ecuador’s broader youth labor market remains heavily informal and under-covered. The program’s design also changes when an affiliate turns 25.
Guayaquil Tourism Spending Reached USD 140.3 Million in Q2
Tourists generated USD 140.25 million in Guayaquil during the second quarter of 2026. The city is also positioning its 158 direct international flights and MICE potential as part of a broader business-tourism strategy.
Fuel Stabilization Mechanism Points to a Second Consecutive Price Decline
President Daniel Noboa says Ecuador will lower diesel and Extra and Ecopais gasoline prices slightly on August 12. The adjustment follows five consecutive months of increases and a July change to the pricing formula.
Education Ministry Directs USD 1.354 Million Toward El Nino School Resilience
Ecuador will direct more than USD 1.3 million toward school prevention and mitigation before possible El Nino effects. The identified allocations include USD 1.044 million for infrastructure work and USD 310,000 for flood-mitigation kits.
Guayaquil Port Seizure Puts Export-Chain Security Back in Focus
A container at the Port of Guayaquil contained 1.2 tons of cocaine hidden in 1,080 banana boxes. The reported destination-market value was USD 37.58 million in the United States and USD 58.57 million in Europe.
Cenace Flags Five Transmission Risks Before Ecuador’s 2026 Dry Season
Cenace’s June operating plan identifies five relevant risks in the National Interconnected System ahead of the October 2026-March 2027 dry season. The warnings center on transmission overloads, coincident plant outages, and reserve loss near Guayaquil.
Guayaquil’s Casa Tola Moves Toward Commercial Redevelopment Behind a Preserved Facade
Casa Tola’s deterioration has made redevelopment unavoidable, but the project will preserve the historic 9 de Octubre facade under INPC and Guayaquil municipal oversight. Demolition is expected to take about 60 days, followed by nine to 11 months of construction.
Biess Relaunches Property-Auction Platform With Listings Across 14 Provinces
Biess has consolidated auction listings, bidder requirements, and the offer workflow at rematevirtual.biess.fin.ec. The current catalog covers 14 provinces and requires a 10% cash deposit or 15% deposit for installment bids.
Ecuador and Japan Keep an Economic Partnership Agreement on the Table
Ecuador asked Japan to advance discussions toward an Economic Partnership Agreement, with a next phase targeted before year-end. Japan is already a market and investment partner across seafood, cacao, infrastructure, energy, and mobility.
Ecuador Secures USD 3.5M To Prepare Strategic Electricity Projects
The grant includes detailed engineering studies for the San Gregorio–Palestina transmission line in El Oro and Guayas, with the program designed to strengthen Ecuador’s National Transmission System.
Ecuador’s New Economic Ministry Sets Six Vice Ministries
The new architecture covers finance, economy, production and tourism, foreign trade and investment, agricultural production and rural development, and aquaculture and fisheries.
Ecuador Prepares a 12,000-Ton Rice Purchase for Strategic Reserves
The reserve is intended to reduce market distortions and strengthen food security ahead of the expected El Niño impact on coastal harvests.
Ecuador Mining Exports Reach USD 1.381 Billion as Eight-Project Pipeline Takes Shape
Ecuador’s mining exports reached USD 1.3814 billion in Q1 2026, up 65.3% year over year. The Central Bank report also maps two producing large-scale mines and six exploration projects, including a USD 4.209 billion estimate for Cascabel.
Ecuador Credit Costs Are Falling Across Corporate and SME Segments
Ecuador’s average effective credit rate fell from 12.81% to 11.58% year over year. Corporate and SME borrowers saw larger reductions, creating a potentially more favorable financing environment for investment and expansion.
Eternit Targets USD 22,000 Industrialized Homes as Ecuador Housing Credit Expands
Eternit is preparing a standardized social-housing product for late 2026. The company’s proposed homes, investment, and pricing arrive as Ecuador’s housing-credit portfolio reaches USD 2.861 billion.
Ecuador Public Procurement Reached USD 3.38 Billion in H1 2026
A PRIMICIAS analysis of 129,652 awarded processes shows a procurement market split between high-value tenders and a much larger electronic-catalog base.
Ecuador Puts Payment Documentation at the Center of USD 10,000-Plus Transactions
The measure broadens the compliance surface around property transfers, mortgages, donations, consortia, credit assignments, and other instruments.
Electrified Vehicles Reach 25.1% of Ecuador's Auto Market in H1
Tax treatment, wider model availability, and BYD's rising sales point to an increasingly structural shift in Ecuador's automotive market.
Ecuador Banana Sector Presses Europe On Price And Sustainability
The export sector says retail pricing obscures production standards and is preparing for the European Union’s 2030 due-diligence regime.
BCE Survey Points To Stronger Q3 Credit Demand With Tighter Screening
The central bank survey covers 23 private banks, 334 cooperatives, and four mutuals and points to stronger financing demand alongside continued risk controls.
SRI Extends Commercial Transport Compliance To December 31
Resolution NAC-DGERCGC26-00000028 extends the implementation window and sets an ex-officio RUC update from January 1, 2027 for taxpayers that do not comply.
SEPS Disputes The Delay Around Incoop’s Forced Liquidation
SEPS says Incoop failed three of 41 intensive-supervision strategies and that its forced liquidation was administratively ratified on April 10, 2026.
Ecuador Puts More Than $484,000 Into Coastal Agricultural Equipment
The package includes four tractors, eight mobile agro-production units, 378 input packages, and 26,358 sacks of DAP fertilizer.