Ecuador will raise tariffs on imports from Colombia to 50% from the current 30%, with the new rate taking effect on March 1, the government announced Thursday.
Officials in Quito described the measure as necessary after the administration assessed that Colombia had not applied concrete and effective actions to strengthen border security. The trade ministry said the additional duties are being treated as a "security fee" and represent a sovereign response to the purported shortfall in cross-border controls.
The decision follows a separate action by Colombia earlier in the week, when the Petro administration imposed 30% reciprocal tariffs on more than 60 goods originating in Ecuador. That step had already increased tensions between the two neighboring countries and the latest Ecuadorian tariff hike amplifies the ongoing trade dispute.
Authorities in Ecuador framed the tariff rise as a targeted measure tied to bilateral security concerns and described it as a necessary instrument because they judged that Colombia had not implemented the expected border measures. The trade ministry reiterated that the higher duties are intended to address what Quito characterized as a failure to deliver effective border-security outcomes.
Economic and commercial ties between the two countries are now subject to heightened protectionary duties on a range of traded items. The reciprocal tariff actions from both governments have introduced new costs for cross-border trade and may affect exporters, importers and the logistics sector that serve bilateral commerce.
Summary
Ecuador will increase tariffs on Colombian imports to 50% from 30%, effective March 1. The government said the move is a sovereign response to what it described as a lack of concrete, effective border-security measures by Colombia, and labeled the increase a security fee. The announcement follows Colombia’s earlier imposition of 30% reciprocal duties on more than 60 Ecuadorian products, further escalating a trade dispute.