Colombia to Formalize Tariff Decree on Ecuadorian Imports — 0–75% Range, Effective Days Away

The Decree

Colombian Commerce Minister Diana Morales confirmed the country's tariff decree on Ecuadorian imports is in its final administrative stage, per Primicias (source):

"Ya pasó el Comité Triple A, hoy está en comentarios y es posible que mañana se desfije, se revisen comentarios y observaciones, y pase a firmas."

Signature is expected during the week of April 21, 2026.

Tariff Structure

Category	Rate	Rationale
Intermediate inputs & goods supporting Colombian production	0%	"insumos y bienes intermedios que son parte de la producción colombiana"
Goods Colombia produces domestically	30%, 50%, 75%	Protection of domestic industry and supply to internal demand

The Escalation Timeline

Date	Event
Pre-2026	Baseline bilateral tariffs under CAN framework
Feb 1, 2026	Ecuador raises tariff on Colombian imports from 30% to 50%
~Feb 1, 2026	Bilateral commercial dispute begins (80 days at publication)
Week of Apr 21, 2026	Colombian counter-decree expected to be signed
May 1, 2026	Ecuador's planned 100% tariff on Colombian goods takes effect

Sector Implications

• Manufacturers dependent on Colombian intermediate inputs — the 0% band protects their supply chain on the Colombian side, but Ecuador's parallel 100% hike will still hit their finished imports coming from Colombia.
• Ecuadorian consumer-goods exporters (processed food, textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals) face the 30/50/75% bands, depending on whether Colombia produces competitors.
• Agricultural exports — both directions — are among the most exposed, given overlapping production profiles.
• Free-trade zone operators and logistics providers face the largest operational restructure given the need to reroute cargo.

What to Watch

• Final tariff schedule publication — the complete HS-code-level breakdown of which Ecuadorian exports fall in which band. This is the document that will drive firm-level impact assessments.
• Ecuador's May 1 implementation — whether the 100% tariff executes as announced or is softened in a last-minute diplomatic window.
• CAN arbitration — both countries are members of the Andean Community; formal CAN dispute procedures could be invoked on either side.
• Substitution capacity — Ecuadorian manufacturers will accelerate sourcing shifts toward Peru, Chile, and Mexico where Colombian inputs are displaced.
• Retaliatory measures beyond tariffs — non-tariff barriers (sanitary inspections, customs delays) often follow tariff escalations.

Source: Primicias