Ecuador Lists 15+ Trade Agreements After $5.032B Non-Oil Surplus
Ecuador is framing trade policy as a core export-diversification instrument after a record non-oil trade balance.
El Universo reports that the country has more than 15 new agreements on its agenda, with recent advances involving the United States, United Arab Emirates and South Korea.
Trade Pipeline And 2025 Base
| Indicator | Figure / detail |
|---|---|
| 2025 non-oil trade surplus | $5.032 billion |
| 2025 non-oil exports | $29.402 billion |
| New agreements on agenda | More than 15 |
| Investment contracts signed | 26 |
| Investment-contract value | More than $1.049 billion |
| Projected direct jobs | 3,541 |
| Business closings from international promotion | $623.22 million |
According to El Universo, the Production, Foreign Trade and Investment Ministry's 2025 accountability report lists ongoing conversations with Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Morocco, Japan, Canada, Israel, Argentina, Brazil and Mercosur.
US And Korea Tracks
El Universo reports that Ecuador signed the Acuerdo de Comercio Reciproco with the United States in March 2026, after 10 months of negotiations.
The article says the agreement would benefit 53% of Ecuador's non-oil exports, mainly agroindustrial goods, with 0% reciprocal tariff treatment for products including bananas, plantains, pineapple, mango, pitahaya, ginger, uvilla, flowers, fishing products and preparations, gold, copper, processed agroindustrial products, industrial manufactures, and the forestry and wood sector.
On the South Korea track, El Universo cites South Korean Ambassador Jae Hyun Shim saying the agreement is expected to drive 27% growth in Ecuadorian non-oil exports to that Asian market.
Investment And Zones
El Universo also reports that the government signed 26 investment contracts for more than $1.049 billion, with 3,541 projected direct jobs.
International promotion of Ecuadorian products generated $623.22 million in effective business closings, with new opportunities in France, Turkey, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
The report also cites the creation of the first Zona Franca Tecnologia in Cuenca and the transition of three ZEDE to the new free-zone model.
What to watch
- Constitutional and internal-process timing for the US ART.
- Ratification and market-entry sequencing for South Korea.
- Which of the 15-plus agreement tracks moves from dialogue to signed text.
- Whether the $623.22 million in business closings converts into sustained export flows.
Source: El Universo
Source
El Universo — “Ecuador fortalece su politica de apertura comercial y tiene en agenda mas de 15 nuevos acuerdos”
View originalReport an article problem
Tell us what seems incorrect or outdated. Email is optional.
For business readers
Need a focused answer to an Ecuador business question?
Request a separately scoped 30-minute research consult with a written summary. A request does not update or verify this archived article. This is business research context, not legal, tax, or investment advice.
Request a research consultSupport the EcuadorBrief archive.
Research support helps fund source monitoring, corrections, and hosting.
