Articles
Business intelligence and analysis on Ecuador
CAF-Backed Consultancy To Draft 20-Year Guayas Basin Plan
The consultancy budget is USD 562,500, with CAF financing 80% through nonreimbursable technical cooperation. The final product is expected to include a 20-year master plan and at least 10 financeable projects.
SCE Authorizes Santa Priscila Acquisition Of Ecuaprotein Assets
Ecuador's Superintendency of Competition cleared Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila to acquire Ecuaprotein assets used for shrimp and fish hydrolysates. The transaction strengthens vertical positioning for one of Ecuador's largest companies, though the authority did not disclose the purchase price.
Canada-Ecuador FTA Reframes Mining Pipeline As Catastro Remains Closed
Ecuador's July 24 free-trade agreement with Canada improves the investment-policy signal for mining, but the sector still faces a closed mining cadastre and unresolved fiscal concerns. Canadian-linked projects include Fruta del Norte, El Domo, La Plata, Warintza, Loma Larga, and Ruta del Cobre exposure.
ITT Output Falls 20% As Petroecuador Maintains Five-Year Closure Path
Bloque 43-ITT production averaged 42,105 barrels per day in January-June 2026, down 20% from the same period in 2023 and 4.5% from 2025. The Yasuní field remains the fourth-largest producer in Ecuador as Petroecuador pursues a five-year closure process contested by Yasunidos.
Large Cooperative Delinquency Holds At 8.3% As Microcredit Stress Persists
Ecuador's 44 large savings and credit cooperatives held 78% of cooperative-sector credit through May 2026, while delinquency stood at 8.3% in June. Microcredit remains the weakest segment at 10.81%, reflecting stress among entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Violence Costs Ecuador USD 12.2B Annually As Illicit Flows Enter Formal Economy
A 2026 IAEN study estimates Ecuador's annual violence cost at more than USD 12.2 billion, or USD 1,127 per person. The analysis links organized crime to household, corporate, fiscal, tourism, export-security, and money-laundering pressures.
Ecuador Pushes Emergency Arbitration In Agenda 2040 Investor-Security Package
Ecuador’s Agenda Crecimiento 2040 proposes emergency arbitration as part of a legal-security package for investors. The measure targets urgent interim relief in state-private disputes while Ecuador works through a broader reset of investment protection after a March 2026 Constitutional Court interpretation.
Ecuador Digital Payments Scale As Cash Withdrawals Drop 22% In 2025
Ecuador’s private-bank cash withdrawals from savings accounts fell 22% in 2025, while POS and electronic payment channels grew 35% over two years. Digital channels now account for 67.7% of transaction count and 67% of amount moved, signaling a structural shift in retail payments and banking usage.
Colombia Supply Risk Complicates Ecuador’s 450 MW Import Buffer For 2026 Dry Season
Ecuador’s interconnection with Colombia can supply up to 450 MW, about 10% of Ecuador’s 4,200-4,500 MW average demand. But Colombian capacity delays and 6.67% demand growth are creating uncertainty ahead of Ecuador’s October dry season.
Ecuador Targets August 20 Completion For Economy, Production And Agriculture Ministry Fusion
Ecuador expects to complete the fusion of Economy, Production, and Agriculture ministries by August 20. The process under Decree 425 reduces the cabinet from 14 ministries to 10 and transfers programs, contracts, budgets, assets, liabilities, rights, and obligations to the new ministry.
Ecuador Holds 10% U.S. Tariff Position As Colombia And Peru Face 12.5%
Ecuador has a relative U.S. tariff advantage after Colombia, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic were placed in a 12.5% band. Fedexpor says 46% of Ecuador non-oil exports still face a 10% surcharge, but more than 54% remain exempt.
El Nino Reprices Ecuador Commodity Risk Across Cacao, Coffee, Bananas And Rice
El Nino is moving from weather risk into commodity pricing. Ecuador-exposed products show pressure across cacao, coffee, bananas and rice, with potential consumer-price pass-through over 12 to 20 months.