Ecuador-Colombia Trade Collapses 44% in February After Both Countries Impose 30% Tariffs

The Numbers

Bilateral trade between Ecuador and Colombia collapsed in February 2026 — the first full month of the tariff war between the two countries — according to Primicias (source).

Per the article, "el comercio bilateral cayó 44%" year-over-year, falling to just "USD 124,9 millones" — $124.9 million.

For a relationship that typically handles several hundred million dollars in monthly bilateral commerce, that's a near-halving.

How It Got Here

• Ecuador moved first. On February 1, 2026, Ecuador imposed "el primer arancel de 30%" — a 30% tariff on Colombian products.
• Colombia matched. On February 24, 2026, Colombia responded with an "arancel 'espejo' de 30%" — a mirror 30% tariff on Ecuadorian goods.

By month's end, both countries had tariffs in place for part of the period, and both countries' trade had crashed.

What Crashed Hardest

Ecuadorian imports from Colombia — down 66%

Per the article: "las compras provenientes de Colombia...sumaron USD 65,2 millones, esto es una caída de 66% en febrero de 2026 frente a igual mes de 2025."

This is the headline number. Colombian goods entering Ecuador fell by two-thirds.

Specific product impacts

• Pharmaceuticals and personal care: "productos farmacéuticos y de tocador" totaled $19 million, "una caída interanual de 34%" — a 34% year-over-year drop
• Industrial chemicals: "productos químicos y farmacéuticos para la industria" — "una disminución de 48% frente a febrero de 2025" — down 48%

Pharma and industrial chemicals are Ecuador's single largest import categories from Colombia. Cutting them in half has real ripple effects on manufacturing inputs and some retail pharmacy supply.

Ecuadorian exports to Colombia — down 20%

Per the article: "las exportaciones de Ecuador al país vecino cayeron 20%", to "USD 59,7 millones" in February.

Main Ecuadorian export to Colombia: "Los enlatados de pescado" — canned fish. Still holding the top spot even in a down month.

Other export declines:

• Wood: down 33%
• Vegetable extracts and oils: down 51%
• Shrimp: down 23%

The Human Cost at the Border

Related coverage from Expreso this week reports that the Rumichaca border crossing — Ecuador's primary freight crossing with Colombia — has been effectively paralyzed. Transport workers on the Ecuadorian side are reporting dramatic drops in cargo, with some waiting days for loads that used to come daily. A significant share of northern Ecuador's logistics economy runs through Rumichaca.

What This Means for Expats

Short-term: price and availability pressure

• Colombian pharmaceuticals and personal care products may get harder to find and more expensive. If you take a specific Colombian-manufactured medication or cosmetic brand, start asking your pharmacy about alternatives now. Tariff effects show up on pharmacy shelves with a 4-8 week lag.
• Household goods with Colombian content may repriceupward. Think cleaning products, processed foods, certain dairy items, textiles. The 30% tariff becomes the 30% price increase, minus any absorbed margin.
• Some everyday items may briefly go out of stock. Importers are rerouting supply chains. Expect short-term availability gaps on specific brands while they restructure.

Medium-term: shifting supply sources

• Expect imports from Peru, Chile, Panama, and the U.S. to fill gaps. Colombian-origin products in Ecuadorian retail will get partially replaced by alternatives from other sources. This may take months to stabilize.
• The South Korea trade agreement Noboa ratified yesterday becomes more important in this context. Diversifying trade relationships is harder to dismiss when a major neighboring partner is off the menu.

Long-term: geopolitical context

• This is part of a larger Noboa-Petro political dispute. The two governments are ideologically at odds, and the tariff war is one consequence. Expect it to continue at least through Ecuador's February 2027 elections and potentially beyond, depending on what happens in Colombia.
• Border regions feel this first. If you live in Tulcán, Ibarra, Otavalo, or northern Ecuador more broadly, local economies and logistics are disproportionately affected.

A 44% drop in a single month is a significant shock. Ecuador's economy is robust enough to absorb it — but the adjustment costs are real, and they show up in the places expats shop and live.

Sources: Primicias, Expreso