Colombia and Ecuador: The timeline of a dispute that went from tariffs to an energy brake
Ecuador's tariff rate on Colombia rose to 50%. Photo: Photo: EL TIEMPO / Presidency / EFE
TL;DR
- Ecuador announced a 30% "security tax" on imports from Colombia on January 21, 2026, effective February 1, 2026.
- Colombia responded by suspending international electricity transactions with Ecuador and announcing a 30% tariff on 23 tariff headings (73 subheadings) of Ecuadorian products.
- Ecuador increased the tariff on Colombian imports from 30% to 50% starting March 1, 2026, citing a lack of concrete security measures from Colombia.
- Ecuador also increased the tariff for transporting Colombian crude oil through the SOTE pipeline by 900%, from US$3 to US$30 per barrel.
- A high-level meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries took place in Quito on February 6, 2026, to discuss the dispute, but resolutions were conditional.
- The dispute has impacted trade, logistics, and energy sectors, with analysis suggesting no clear winners and a need for joint negotiation to de-escalate.