Chevron seeks US court enforcement of $224 million arbitration award against Ecuador

Chevron has filed a request in a United States federal court to enforce an arbitration award that orders the Ecuadorian government to pay $224 million, plus daily interest, for environmental damage caused in the Amazon region. The award is based on a dispute that began in 1993 when Ecuadorian citizens sued Texaco, later acquired by Chevron, alleging contamination of drinking water. An Ecuadorian court in 2011 ruled a $9.5 billion penalty, which was later annulled on grounds of fraud. In November 2025 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ordered Ecuador to cover Chevron’s legal costs and interest of $33,700 per day, a decision Ecuador appealed in March 2025. Chevron’s spokesperson James Craig said the company is pursuing the payment, invoking the New York Convention and the US‑Ecuador bilateral investment treaty, arguing Ecuador waived sovereign immunity.

The enforcement action could affect Ecuador’s public finances and service provision, while underscoring ongoing tensions over the role of international arbitration in sovereign disputes.