The diplomatic relationship between Colombia and Ecuador is going through its critical moment, resembling a trade war where the premise seems to be “If you take away from me, so will I.”
What began as a unilateral measure by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, imposing a 30% tariff on Colombian products alleging lack of cooperation in border security due to drug trafficking, escalated quickly.
In a response from “an eye for an eye”the Government of Gustavo Petro not only hit back by imposing a 30% reciprocal tariff on 20 Ecuadorian products, but also pressed the energy panic button by officially suspending the sale of electricity to the neighboring country.
This trade war has businesspeople on both sides of the border on edge. Javier Díaz, president of Analdex, was emphatic in an interview with 6AM W de Caracol, warning that this behavior of mutual retaliation is like “shooting yourself in the foot.”
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According to the union’s figures, exports to Ecuador were already in the doldrums with a reduction of 3.2% in 2025, totaling US$1,673 million. Ecuador is not just any client: it is the second buyer of non-mining-energy products in Colombia. By stopping the legal flow, the fear is that smuggling will become the only winner, flooding the trails with sugar, candy and manufactures that will no longer be able to formally cross through Rumichaca.
From the Casa de Nariño, President Petro defended his position by ensuring that Colombia has more than fulfilled its surveillance, seizing more than 200 tons of cocaine in the border area.
The tariffs imposed by Ecuador violate the agreements of the Andean Community (CAN), and the Colombian response of cutting off the electricity (an item that cost the country US$30 million last year) only intensifies a conflict that should be resolved at technical tables and not with diplomatic doors slammed.
While Noboa justifies his “safety rate” to finance the internal war against drug trafficking, and Petro demands the surrender of drug lords like alias ‘El Mosco’, formal commerce is caught in the crossfire.
For now, the trade balance remains favorable for Colombia, but the cost of this political struggle could end up being paid in energy bills and on supermarket shelves in both countries.
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