Articles
Business intelligence and analysis on Ecuador
CAN Resolution 2582 Orders Ecuador-Colombia Tariff Withdrawal Within 10 Business Days; Colombian Exports Already Down 60%
The Andean Community issued Resolution 2582 on May 7, ordering Ecuador and Colombia to withdraw reciprocal tariffs within 10 business days. The ruling declares both countries' measures incompatible with the Cartagena Agreement. With Ecuador's rate at 75% and Colombian exports down 60% through March, industry leaders on both sides call current conditions unsustainable.
ASOTEP Assessment: Peru's Chancay Megaport Impact on Ecuador 'Indirect and Non-Substitutive'
Ecuador's Port Terminals Association (ASOTEP) assesses that Peru's Chancay megaport has created an 'indirect and non-substitutive' impact on Ecuadorian port operations, reconfiguring regional transshipment routes toward Asia rather than displacing Ecuadorian cargo directly.
Ecuador Reduces Colombia Security Tariff From 100% to 75%, Effective June 1
Ecuador will lower its security tariff on Colombian imports from 100% to 75% starting June 1, 2026 — the first reduction since President Noboa initiated trade restrictions in February. Colombia's retaliatory tariffs on 191 Ecuadorian products remain in place.
SENAE Cuts Duty-Free Liquor Allowance to 3 Liters, Citing 694,000-Liter Informal Trade Leak
Ecuador's National Customs Service (SENAE) reduced the per-traveler duty-free alcohol limit from 5 liters to 3 liters effective May 4, 2026. The agency estimates 694,000 liters entered duty-free in 2024 alone, with the majority diverted to informal commercial channels rather than personal consumption.
China-Ecuador FTA at Two Years: Non-Petroleum Trade Deficit Widens 467% as Chinese Imports Surge 30%
Two years after entering force, the China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement has produced a dramatically lopsided result. Ecuador's non-petroleum trade deficit with China widened from $335 million in 2023 to $1.9 billion in 2025 — a 467% deterioration driven by a 30% surge in Chinese imports while export growth stalled at 4.4%.
Colombia Signs Decree 0455: Retaliatory Tariffs of 35–75% on Ecuadorian Products — Bilateral Trade Projected to Collapse
Colombia has signed Decree 0455 establishing retaliatory tariffs of 35%, 50%, and 75% on Ecuadorian imports, invoking national security provisions under the Cartagena Agreement and GATT Article XXI. Trade projections indicate a 75% decline in Colombian imports from Ecuador ($640M reduction) and a 79% decline in Colombian exports to Ecuador ($1.452B reduction).
Ecuador-Colombia Tariff War: Bilateral Trade Down 44% as Ecuador Prepares 100% Duties in May
Bilateral trade between Ecuador and Colombia fell 44% in the first month of the tariff war. Ecuador plans to raise duties to 100% in May, up from the current 50%. Colombia has responded with retaliatory tariffs up to 75% and threatened to cut electricity exports — a critical supply line after Ecuador's 2024 blackout crisis.
Ecuador Has Ratified 41 International Treaties Since November 2023 — 36 Now in Force
Ecuador's Constitutional Court has reviewed 41 international treaties since Daniel Noboa took office in November 2023. Of these, 36 are currently in force covering trade, police cooperation, air services, migration, and cybercrime. The portfolio includes strategic economic agreements with South Korea, the EU, and China.
Colombia to Formalize Tariff Decree on Ecuadorian Imports — 0–75% Range, Effective Days Away
Colombia's counter-tariff decree on Ecuadorian imports — ranging from 0% on intermediate inputs to 75% on goods produced domestically — is expected to be signed the week of April 21. The move responds to Ecuador's February 1 tariff hike (30→50%) and its planned 100% tariff on May 1. An 80-day bilateral dispute is about to formalize.
Ecuador-Morocco Commercial MoU in Final Phase; African Exports $27.8M in Q1 2026 vs $35.7M Full-Year 2025
Ecuador and Morocco are finalizing a commercial Memorandum of Understanding as Rabat prepares to open an embassy in Quito. Ecuadorian exports to African markets reached $27.8M in the first bimester of 2026, already nearing 2025's full-year total of $35.7M. A business forum between Ecuadorian and Moroccan exporter federations accompanies the diplomatic move.
Ecuador-South Korea SECA Trade Agreement Ratified via Decreto Ejecutivo 359 — 98.9% Tariff-Free Coverage
President Noboa ratified the SECA agreement with South Korea via Decreto Ejecutivo 359 on April 15, 2026, two days after Asamblea approved 83 votes. Agreement covers 23 chapters, eliminates tariffs on 98.9% of Ecuadorian exports (currently 20-45%). Shrimp at 0% immediately; banana phased over 5 years. Korean market: 51M consumers, ~6× Ecuador per-capita income, ~70% food import dependency.
DIAN Data Confirms Trade War Bite: Colombian Exports to Ecuador Fell 27% YTD, 57% Month-Over-Month
Colombia's DIAN reports Colombian exports to Ecuador fell 27% year-to-date through February and 57% between February and March as Ecuador's security tariff took effect. Electricity exports collapsed 77%. Ecuadorian exports to Colombia rose 32% to $187.7 million. The tariff escalates from 50% to 100% on May 1.