Ecuador and Colombia intensified their tariff war, which threatens to destabilize key export sectors in the two neighboring countries. Quito announced that starting March 1, it will raise tariffs on Colombian products to 50%, and Bogota responded by maintaining and expanding its own package of 30% duties on Ecuadorian goods.
What began as a complaint over security along the shared border, with accusations from Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa of an alleged lack of commitment by his Colombian counterpart in combating armed and drug trafficking groups operating in the border area, has now become an open trade dispute that is hitting business owners, transport operators, and consumers on both sides.
Behind the cross-imposed taxes lies a deep political clash over how to confront the drug trafficking and armed groups operating in the border region.
The accumulated differences between Quito and Bogota, compounded by increasingly harsh public statements, have led to an escalation that threatens to undermine a historically strategic bilateral relationship in the Andean region and that today, far from being resolved, appears to be intensifying despite the impact that some agricultural producers are already suffering on both sides of the border.
Tariff war between Colombia and Ecuador escalates
The nearly 600-kilometer border between Ecuador and Colombia has for years been a corridor used by structures dedicated to drug trafficking, illegal mining, and smuggling.
In recent months, the Ecuadorian government has hardened both its rhetoric and its security operations, arguing that the advance of criminal groups has a strong transnational component and that part of the pressure comes from the Colombian side.
President Daniel Noboa maintained that his country cannot continue to bear alone the costs of fighting these organizations. According to his position, Colombia has not offered an equivalent response nor sufficiently strengthened control over its border territory.
In that context, Quito decided weeks ago to impose a 30% tariff on Colombian imports, justifying it as a protective measure in the face of an extraordinary security situation.
The decision was read in Bogota as a disguised sanction. The government of President Gustavo Petro rejected the link between trade and security and described the measure as a unilateral action that violates the principles of regional integration.
For Colombia, the fight against drug trafficking requires operational and political coordination, not economic punishments.
The dispute escalated quickly. Colombia responded with 30% tariffs on about 20 Ecuadorian products, including agricultural and industrial goods, and announced additional trade measures. The message was clear: Any increase in barriers would be met with a proportional response.
Far from backing down, Ecuador doubled down. Quito announced it will raise tariffs on Colombian products from 30% to 50% starting March 1. The increase was presented as a sign of firmness in the face of what the Ecuadorian government considers a lack of genuine cooperation at the border. The decision deepens the clash and immediately makes bilateral trade more expensive.
Trade between the two countries is especially significant in border areas, where thousands of families depend on the constant flow of goods. The Rumichaca crossing and other formal and informal crossings sustain supply chains that now face higher costs and growing uncertainty.
COMUNICADO | A la ciudadanía: Aumenta la tasa de seguridad a las importaciones provenientes de Colombia al 50%. pic.twitter.com/mGkE4RItmK
— Ministerio de Producción (@Produccion_Ecu) February 26, 2026
A political conflict with significant economic impact
Although the visible trigger is border security, relations between Quito and Bogota had already shown prior tensions. The styles and priorities of Daniel Noboa and Gustavo Petro differ markedly.
Noboa has built part of his domestic legitimacy on a hardline policy against organized crime, with declarations of internal conflict and intensive deployment of security forces.
Petro, by contrast, has insisted on a strategy that combines military pressure with social- and dialogue-based approaches on certain fronts of the armed conflict. That difference in approaches carried over into the diplomatic arena.
As exchanges of statements intensified, the disagreement ceased to be technical and became political. Mutual distrust became evident in official statements and press conferences.
What could have been channeled through binational security committees ultimately shifted to foreign trade as an instrument of pressure.
The 30% tariffs, and now 50%, increase the cost of basic goods, industrial inputs, and food. Companies that rely on suppliers from the neighboring country will have to absorb higher costs or pass them on to consumers. In economies facing inflationary pressures, the effect can be felt quickly.
In addition, the clash sends a negative signal to Andean integration. Ecuador and Colombia are members of the Andean Community and have promoted the free movement of goods for decades. The current escalation tests those commitments and opens the door to formal disputes in regional bodies.
In the realm of security, the risk is that cooperation could suffer precisely when it is most needed. Criminal organizations operate without recognizing borders. If political coordination deteriorates, the gaps may be exploited by networks engaged in drug trafficking and other illicit economies.
For now, neither capital has given clear signs of de-escalation. Quito insists it will not back down until it sees concrete actions on the Colombian side. Bogota says it will not accept trade pressure to resolve security matters.
For now, the country most harmed is Ecuador itself, precisely the one that began this tariff escalation. Ecuador has an unfavorable trade balance with Colombia, meaning it imports more than it exports to its neighbor.
Between January and November 2025, Ecuador exported goods worth US$808 million to Colombia, while in the same period imports from Colombia reached more than US$1.7 billion, according to the central bank of Ecuador.