Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
President Noboa ratified the SECA trade agreement with South Korea via Decreto Ejecutivo 359 on April 15, two days after the Asamblea approved it 83 votes. The deal eliminates tariffs on 98.9% of Ecuadorian exports to a 51-million-consumer market. Shrimp goes to 0% immediately. Bananas phase out over five years. Here's what's in it.
President Noboa presented Q1 2026 economic results in a national broadcast. Sales hit $63.2 billion (vs $57.7B Q1 2025). Country risk dropped from 1,908 bps a year ago to 416 today. Public investment jumped from $42M to $533M YoY. Here's what the government is claiming and what to actually take from it.
Ecuador's strategic Mazar reservoir is sitting at ~2,137 m.s.n.m. — about 61% of stored energy capacity, and 23–28 meters above the same period in 2024. Energy Minister Inés Manzano declared "tenemos agua." Hydroelectric is currently delivering 72.3% of national output. Here's the supply-side picture as the heat wave continues.
Starting June 1, 2026, Ecuador's tax authority requires VAT declarations to be filed and paid in a single transaction. Partial payments — even with credit notes — invalidate the declaration. If you run a business, rental property, or freelance income through SRI, this is a meaningful workflow change. Here's what's required.
Bilateral trade between Ecuador and Colombia fell 44% year-over-year in February 2026, the first month of the tariff war — to just $124.9 million. Ecuadorian imports from Colombia dropped 66%. Exports fell 20%. Pharma imports collapsed 34%, industrial chemicals 48%, and Rumichaca's transport hub has ground to a halt.
The Banco Central del Ecuador raised its 2026 GDP growth projection to 2.5%, up 0.7 points from its September forecast. Inflation is expected at 1.8%, private credit to grow 10%, and the external account to post a $6.4 billion surplus. 2025 closed at 3.7% growth — so momentum is slowing.
Ecuador's tax authority SRI reported $267.2 billion in reported sales for 2025, a 9% increase over 2024, alongside $21.5 billion in tax collection (+6.8%). The online portal pulled in 167 million visits and 3.5 million access-credential transactions. Mobile service brigades jumped 226%.
Peak demand on the Ecuadorian electrical grid hit 5,333 MW on April 10 — roughly 20% above normal, and enough to trigger rolling blackouts across Guayaquil, Daule, and Samborondón. The Ministry of Environment and Energy suspended all scheduled grid maintenance on April 14 to free up capacity. Here's what's happening and what to expect.
The National Assembly approved Ecuador's trade agreement with South Korea on April 14, a 23-chapter deal that could boost Ecuadorian exports by roughly $367 million over five years. 98.8% of Ecuador's exportable goods enter South Korea at zero tariff immediately under the agreement. Shrimp is the headline beneficiary. The deal still needs presidential ratification.
New numbers from Colombia's DIAN show Colombian exports to Ecuador fell 27% in January–February 2026 as Ecuador's security-tariff regime ramped up. Between February and March, the fall steepened to 57%. Ecuador's tariff escalates again on May 1 — from 50% to 100%. Here's the picture and what it means for consumer prices.
Ecuador's April 12 fuel adjustment raised Extra and Ecopaís gasoline by 4.6%, diesel by 4.7%, and Súper by 26% — from $3.62 to $4.57 per gallon. Transport associations are planning a march in Quito and warning that costs will be passed through to importers, exporters, and ultimately consumers. Here's the breakdown.
Economy Minister Sariha Moya presented Ecuador's fiscal efficiency formula at the IMF Spring Meetings in Washington on April 14. Her headline numbers: international reserves up from $3 billion to $11 billion, poverty down from 28% to 21% in 2025, and local-government payment delays cut by 85%. She credited the fuel subsidy phase-out that ran from June 2024 through September 2025.
