Ecuador Posts USD 2.144B Trade Surplus Through May 2026

Ecuador maintained a positive goods trade balance through May, but the surplus narrowed as import growth outpaced exports.

The goods trade balance posted a USD 2.144 billion surplus from January to May 2026. That was 38% lower than the same period last year.

Exports totaled USD 16.288 billion, up 5% year over year, while imports reached USD 14.143 billion, up 18%.

Export Mix

Oil exports reached USD 4.054 billion, up 16% year over year, helped by a 25% increase in the average Ecuadorian crude price despite a 6% decline in export volume.

Non-oil exports rose 2%. Shrimp led non-oil exports with USD 3.892 billion in sales, up 12% from the same period in 2025. Mining exports reached USD 2.221 billion, up 47%. Banana and plantain exports reached USD 2.023 billion, up 7%.

Cocoa and derivatives fell to USD 820 million, a 59% contraction. Excluding cocoa, non-oil exports grew 14%.

Import Pressure

Fuel and lubricant imports reached USD 3.683 billion, up 35%, with the United States as the main origin.

For business readers, the useful signal is not just the positive balance. The composition shows stronger oil, mining, shrimp, and banana flows alongside import pressure and a sharp cocoa drag.