.jpg){kind=link}
The ongoing trade war between Colombia and Ecuador has caused the International Bridge of Rumichaca, the primary trade road between the neighboring countries, to collapse into a logistical bottleneck as companies race to move cargo before new bilateral tariffs take effect on Feb. 1.
The border region has become a “hive of uncertainty,” where the logistics sector is overwhelmed by business panic and an unprecedented escalation in shipping prices. With a 30% increase in tariffs looming, the rush to empty inventories has saturated the crossing, transforming the bridge into a funnel where “time is measured in millions of pesos.”
Veronica Cuartas, commercial coordinator for Sanchez Polo, an international transporter responsible for approximately 60% of land exports between the two nations, described a frenetic scene.
“The tension is maximum. From here to tomorrow, we must move approximately 100 containers,” Cuartas told El Pais. She noted that her company, which typically handles a monthly quota of 600 containers, is receiving urgent calls from executives demanding shipments in record time.
The logistical mess at the Colombia-Ecuador border raises prices
The race against the clock has already distorted market prices. Freight costs have surged 20% in just 48 hours. Drivers are now dictating terms, with the cost of moving cargo from Cali, Colombia, to Tulcan, Ecuador, rising from 5 million pesos to 6 million pesos overnight.
The logistical crisis on the ground is the direct result of a diplomatic collapse between Bogota and Quito, which has resulted in a trade war between Colombia and Ecuador. The relationship between the neighboring partners turned hostile after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced the 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Noboa accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of failing to assist in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.
In response, the Colombian government has launched a counteroffensive. Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce announced it would retaliate with a “mirror measure,” imposing the same 30% tariff on approximately 20 imported products. Furthermore, Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy Edwin Palma suspended electricity exports to Ecuador starting Thursday.
The suspension of energy transfers is a severe blow to Ecuador, which is already suffering from a deep energy crisis and relies on Colombia for 8% of its electricity consumption in 2025.
The trade war between Colombia and Ecuador has had a severe impact on small business owners
The trade war has left small business owners paralyzed. According to reporting by El Pais, a Colombian cookie manufacturer described the situation as “absolute limbo,” noting that while multinationals can weather the storm, smaller exporters lack the financial capacity to absorb the shock and have frozen negotiations for 2026.
Industry leaders fear the tariffs will spark a rise in illegal activity. Lucia Fernandez, a veteran of the tuna market, warned that the measures are an “open invitation” to illegality. “What the presidents are doing is giving incentives to increase contraband. When there is an increase in a tariff rate, only the regulated will pay,” Fernandez told El Pais.
The dispute is rooted in security concerns. While Noboa justifies the trade war as a search for resources to combat insecurity, Colombia has defended its record, citing the seizure of 195 tons of cocaine in joint operations during 2025 and the capture of high-profile Ecuadorian criminals. Meanwhile, Ecuador closed 2025 with 9,216 homicides, the highest figure on record.
As trucks idle in long lines at the border, there are fears of structural economic damage. If the tariffs solidify, Colombian companies may stop exporting and move manufacturing directly to Ecuadorian soil, destroying jobs in border cities.