Ecuador Trade Surplus Shrinks in March

Ecuador's trade surplus narrowed sharply to $354.78 million in March 2026 compared to a surplus of $791.07 million a year earlier. Imports surged 34.8% to $3.18 billion, driven by a 22.2% rise raw material purchases, a matching 22.2% rise in consumer goods and nearly double the purchases of fuel and lubricants to $889 million from $466 million. Meanwhile, exports rose at a slower pace of 12.2% to $3.53 billion, primarily due to a 49.3% rise in shipments of primary goods to $761 million, particularly mining, and a 7.7% increase in industrial goods to $442 million.

Ecuador's trade surplus narrowed to $263.89 million in February 2026, down from $512.64 million a year earlier, marking the lowest since last October. Exports fell 7.44% year-on-year to $2.76 billion, with primary products declining 8.73% and industrial goods down 1.2%. Imports rose 1.1% to $2.50 billion, driven by a 16.2% increase in consumer goods and a 4.4% rise in raw materials. However, this growth was offset by a 12.9% drop in fuel and lubricant purchases and a 2.7% decline in capital goods. The combined effect narrowed the trade surplus, reflecting weaker export performance and mixed import dynamics.

Ecuador’s trade surplus narrowed to $485.58 million in January 2026 from $877.56 million a year earlier. Exports decreased to $3.10 billion from $3.17 billion, driven by stronger shipments of primary products at $2.82 billion versus $2.75 billion, while industrial exports fell to $284.54 million from $422.32 million. Imports also edged higher to $2.62 billion from $2.30 billion, reflecting increased purchases of raw materials at $886.41 million compared with $752.35 million and higher consumer goods imports at $689.85 million versus $503.07 million. In contrast, imports of capital goods rose to $615.77 million from $507.69 million, while purchases of fuels and lubricants fell to $417.82 million from $519.38 million.