Colombia’s pharmaceutical industry has issued a stark warning regarding Ecuador’s decision to impose a 30% tariff on imports, stating the measure could jeopardize medicine supplies and severely impact the neighboring nation’s health system.
The Association of the Colombian Pharmaceutical Industry (Ascif) alerted that the new tariffs could stall the supply of Colombian medicines, which represent a critical component of Ecuador’s medical inventory.
In an interview with El Tiempo, Clara Isabel Rodriguez, the executive director of Ascif, emphasized that Ecuador is a strategic commercial partner and a primary destination for medicines manufactured in Colombia. “We have seen that a measure like this, if materialized, would generate a significant impact from an economic point of view on the balance of exports by this industry,” Rodriguez said.
In 2025, Ecuador Imported US$51 million in medicines from Colombia
Data from the sector indicates the scale of the potential disruption. Between January and November 2025, Colombia exported approximately US$51 million in medicines to Ecuador. These exports consist primarily of finished products such as tablets, ampoules, and bottles intended for mass consumption and the supply of the Ecuadorian health system.
The trade dispute escalated after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa confirmed his intention to levy the 30% tariff on Colombian products. In response, Colombia announced reciprocal tariffs on 20 products imported from Ecuador. The Colombian Foreign Ministry has rejected the unilateral imposition of tariffs and proposed a negotiated solution to avoid a commercial escalation.
For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the proposed tariff threatens the viability of current business operations. Rodriguez noted that a 30% increase generates a major imbalance that could make exports infeasible and compromise existing contracts.
Changing Colombian pharmaceutical suppliers could be a slow process
While Central America remains the top market for Colombian pharmaceuticals, Ecuador holds a prominent position within the Andean Community alongside Peru and Bolivia. Rodriguez highlighted that Colombia contributes significantly to the consumption of the Ecuadorian health system, much like domestic companies produce 80% of mass-consumption medicines within Colombia. The association warned that the fallout would extend beyond corporate balance sheets to patients in Ecuador.
Ascif also cautioned that replacing Colombian suppliers would be a slow administrative process due to regulatory barriers. Obtaining sanitary registrations for new medicines from other countries is not immediate and “can take a year or a year and a half.” Consequently, potential suppliers from nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, or China could not offer an immediate solution to fill the gap left by Colombian products.
Despite the diplomatic tension, the pharmaceutical industry remains hopeful that the measures will not be finalized. According to reporting by El Tiempo, Rodriguez noted that there is not yet a formal administrative act making the tariffs effective and expressed hope for dialogue tables to settle the differences before the industry suffers economic damage.