Ecuador-Colombia Trade Fell to USD 700M During Tariff Dispute, Recovery Seen at 75%

Ecuador-Colombia commerce is recovering from a four-month tariff dispute, but the trade data show a sharp first-half disruption and uneven normalization by sector.

Primicias reported that bilateral trade fell from USD 888 million in January-April 2025 to USD 700 million in the same period of 2026. The dispute began with Ecuador's 30% security tariff on Colombian imports and escalated through Colombian countermeasures.

Trade Data

Palm oil was a cited pressure point. Óscar Calahorrano of Propalma said Ecuadorian crude palm-oil exports to Colombia were zero between April and May. January-May volumes fell from 37,600 tons in 2025 to 10,700 tons in 2026.

Recovery Timeline

Nelson Cano, president of the Cámara de Comercio de Tulcán, estimated that trade has recovered to about 75% of normal levels. He said import flows do not reactivate immediately and may take 30 to 40 days to return to normal.

The election of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia adds a political variable, but tariff removal had already begun before the result. The practical issue for companies is contract lag: some buyers switched suppliers during the dispute and may wait for current contracts to expire before resuming cross-border sourcing.

What To Watch

• Customs flow at Rumichaca over the next 30-40 days.
• Whether palm oil exports regain the Colombian market after the temporary collapse.
• Price normalization in categories cited as affected by the dispute, including coffee, chocolate, toothpaste and soap.
• Any new bilateral security or trade mechanism under Colombia's incoming administration.

Source: Primicias