Colombia-Ecuador "tariff war" worsens: Bolívar's exports fall
Ecuador's decision to raise the security rate for Colombian goods entering its territory from 50% to 100% and Colombia's reciprocal response of also raising tariffs for Ecuadorian products arriving in Colombian territory by the same proportion "closes any possibility of trade," expressed the president of the National Association of Foreign Trade, Analdex, Javier Díaz Molina.
TL;DR
- Ecuador increased security rates for Colombian goods by 100%, and Colombia reciprocated by raising tariffs on Ecuadorian products.
- This trade dispute is expected to last until Ecuador's next presidential election, with no resolution before August.
- Over 2,700 Colombian companies, many of them small and medium-sized, are affected by the trade restrictions.
- Colombian exports to Ecuador decreased by 27.1% in the first two months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
- Significant drops were observed in exports of electrical energy (-77.1%) and refined sugar (-26%).
- Antioquia, a major trading partner, saw its exports to Ecuador fall by 55.8%.
- Bolívar, previously Ecuador's second-largest trading partner, experienced a 17.9% drop in exports.
- Colombian imports from Ecuador increased by 20.5% in January.