Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is visiting Ecuador as part of a broader Latin American diplomatic push, with negotiations beginning on a trade agreement and expanded security cooperation including surveillance technology and agricultural innovation.
Coffee grown in Quito's UNESCO-designated Chocó Andino Biosphere Reserve is gaining international recognition and finding growing markets in Europe, adding another dimension to Ecuador's agricultural export story.
The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism has awarded Ecuador's Manabí province the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2026 — the first in Latin America — recognizing its peanut-based culinary traditions, ceviches, and sustainable food culture.
Ecuador's Constitutional Court has determined that the trade agreement negotiated with South Korea requires a full legislative vote before ratification — a higher procedural bar than the recently concluded U.S. deal.
Washington and Quito have 'substantially concluded' negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement set to be signed in coming weeks. But Ecuador's biggest non-oil export to the U.S. — shrimp worth $2 billion a year — may not get the tariff relief the industry needs to survive.
International cacao prices have collapsed from a record $13,000 per ton in late 2024 to $3,581 in February 2026. Ecuadorian farmers now receive roughly $130 per quintal — down from $400 a year ago — squeezing margins in communities across the coast.
Fedexpor reports Ecuador’s non-petroleum, non-mining exports grew 16% to $25.2 billion in 2025. Shrimp led at $8.4 billion (+20%), cocoa surged 29% to $4.7 billion, and U.S.-bound exports jumped 30%. It’s the strongest diversification signal yet for the dollarized economy.
Heavy rains have inundated 700 hectares of farmland in Guayas province, putting approximately 38,000 agricultural producers at risk. Rice, corn, and cacao crops are the most affected as the rainy season intensifies heading into Carnival weekend.
President Noboa used the World Government Summit in Dubai to court international investment, pledging $600 million for infrastructure and signing an anti-corruption agreement with the UAE.
