Colombia declared on Friday that it will impose a 100% tariff on imports from Ecuador, following Quito’s decision to increase tariffs on Colombian imports from 50% to 100% effective May 1.
Diana Marcela Morales, Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, stated that Bogotá would align with Ecuador’s revised tariff structure by raising existing duties on Ecuadorean imports from 30% to 100%.
The move represents a direct reciprocal response to Ecuador’s latest tariff hike and marks a sharp escalation in trade and diplomatic tensions between the two South American nations.
Ecuador has recently raised tariffs on Colombian imports, citing trade imbalance and alleging that Colombia has not taken sufficient action against drug trafficking activities. Colombia has dismissed these claims and highlighted its military efforts to intercept illegal narcotics.
The disagreement has unfolded against a backdrop of political tensions between Ecuador’s right-leaning President Daniel Noboa and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
On Thursday, Ecuador increased tariffs on goods from Colombia from 50% to 100%, prompting Petro to recall the country’s ambassador from Bogotá. Colombia has consistently imposed reciprocal tariff measures in response to Ecuador’s increases since the beginning of the year, raising duties from the initial 30% to 100%.
However, Petro clarified on Friday that certain inputs critical to Colombian industrial production will be exempt from tariffs and subject to a 0% rate.
Morales stated that Ecuador’s tariff measures contravene the 1969 Cartagena Agreement, a foundational accord for regional integration, and confirmed that legal proceedings have been initiated.
Colombia has also suspended electricity exports to Ecuador in retaliation. In response, Ecuador subsequently raised transit fees for oil transported by Colombia’s state-owned company Ecopetrol from $3 to $30 per barrel.
Colombia’s principal exports to Ecuador include electricity, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, cosmetics, and plastic products, while imports consist of vegetable oils and fats, canned tuna, minerals, and metals, according to trade associations. In addition, roughly 70% of the cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru—the world’s largest suppliers—passes through Ecuador for shipment via its Pacific ports.
Petro has also raised the possibility of Colombia withdrawing from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), the regional bloc that includes Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
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