Ecuador hopes Colombia will lift tariffs after trade dispute

Ecuador’s production minister Luis Alberto Jaramillo said the government expects Colombia to remove the extraordinary tariffs it imposed on Ecuadorian products following a bilateral trade conflict. The dispute, which began in January, saw Ecuador introduce a security surcharge that rose to 100% on Colombian goods, prompting Colombia to retaliate with tariffs ranging from 30% to 75% on roughly 190 Ecuadorian items, suspend electric interconnection, and restrict land‑border shipments. The measures caused a roughly 20% fall in Ecuador’s exports to Colombia and a 40% drop in imports from Colombia over the last four months.

Transport operators at the Rumichaca crossing report that traffic remains low – about 20 trucks a day compared with the pre‑dispute average of 120 – while 3,500 heavy‑vehicle drivers are poised to resume routes. Business groups estimate the commercial losses at around $400 million and stress that full recovery hinges on Colombia officially eliminating its extra tariffs.