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Results for “strategic minerals”Clear
The United States and Ecuador have concluded negotiations on a historic Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) that eliminates the 15% surcharge on roughly half of Ecuador's non-petroleum exports — worth $3.2 billion annually. The deal shields Ecuadorian flowers, bananas, cacao, and seafood from the new 10% global US tariff.
At a 54-nation Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, the US formally recognized Ecuador's rare earth elements, copper, and gold deposits as strategically important — unlocking up to $10 billion in EXIM Bank financing and DFC investment guarantees for mining development.
Ecuador's Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor) projects 6-7% export growth for 2026, a significant slowdown from the 18% surge in 2025. Headwinds include US tariff uncertainty, the Colombia trade dispute, and falling cacao prices — but the new US trade deal and flower sector expansion offer upside.
