Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Ecuador is checking gas stations, terminals and distribution centers before fuel prices update on June 12. Officials say gasoline extra, ecopaís, diesel and super are being dispatched normally, while the Esmeraldas refinery has recovered to about 90% of technical capacity.
ANT says Ecuador's new Tercera Placa system will re-register the entire vehicle fleet from zero and replace roughly 200 municipal databases with one national platform. Registration is expected to begin before the end of 2026.
A legal reform moving through Ecuador's Assembly aims to clear about 12,000 abandoned containers from the country's ports. The backlog includes roughly $450 million in retained cargo and average wait times of 365 days.
The U.S. Trade Representative is proposing a 10% tariff for Ecuador and five other economies over enforcement of forced-labor import bans. Public comments are open until July 6, and Ecuador’s current 10% surcharge expires July 24.
El Universo reports merchants and transport workers at Rumichaca expect activity to recover after Ecuador removed the 100% security charge on Colombian imports on June 1. Border workers said normal movement could take about a month to return.
Primicias reports President Daniel Noboa ordered Ecuador's security tariff on Colombian imports eliminated from June 1. The tariff had reached 100% during the trade dispute and affected products including medicines, cosmetics and plastic and rubber manufactures.
Primicias reports that Petroecuador produced 356,867 barrels per day in April 2026, down 17,733 barrels per day from April 2025. The shortfall came while Ecuador's crude prices stayed well above the state budget assumption.
Primicias reports BlaBlaCar has entered Ecuador as a carpooling platform, joining a transport-app market that already includes Uber, DiDi, inDrive, Clipp and Redi. The company says its platform operates in 21 countries.
Expreso reports that at least 60% of Ecuadorian households live on $513 a month or less, citing El Quantificador data based on INEC figures. INEC's April ENEMDU report put average monthly labor income at $513 nationally.
El Universo reports that Ecuador recorded 273,554 active labor contracts from January through April 2026, with 171,735 concentrated in one broad macrosector covering agriculture, construction, commerce, finance, professional services and health-related work.
Primicias reports that Ecuador's overdue financial-system portfolio managed by collection firms has risen from about $1.6 billion before Covid-19 to about $2.5 billion today, according to Asocob.
Expreso reports that Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport won Airport of the Year in the 2026 NCE Airports Awards, along with three additional recognitions for aviation infrastructure technology, social value and sustainable construction.
