Agreement aims to expand market access for American exports while boosting Ecuador’s non-oil trade with its largest economic partner……
The United States and Ecuador have formalized a new trade agreement that will lower tariffs on a range of goods moving between the two countries, marking a significant step in efforts to ease trade barriers and deepen economic ties.
The deal was signed in Washington on Friday by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Ecuador’s Minister of Production, Foreign Trade and Investment, Luis Alberto Jaramillo, concluding nearly ten months of negotiations.
Officials say the agreement builds on a framework announced in November aimed at reducing duties on several categories of products, following a sweeping tariff campaign introduced by US President Donald Trump last year that affected trading partners across the globe.
Under the new arrangement, Ecuador will reduce or remove tariffs on key American exports, including health-related products, motor vehicles and selected agricultural goods. The White House said the move is intended to create broader access for US manufacturers and farmers in Ecuador’s market.
In addition, the agreement removes customs surcharges previously imposed on Ecuadorian goods entering the United States, a measure expected to ease trade flows for exporters from the South American country.
Another provision of the deal allows the United States to export critical minerals and energy resources from Ecuador, reflecting growing cooperation in sectors considered strategically important.
The United States remains Ecuador’s most important trading partner. Data from Ecuador’s central bank shows Ecuador exported goods worth about $6.8 billion to the US in 2025, while imports from the United States reached roughly $9.1 billion.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa described the agreement as a strategic decision aimed at expanding the country’s access to international markets.
According to Noboa, the pact will benefit more than half of Ecuador’s non-oil exports and could create opportunities for new products from the country to enter the US market.
“Ecuador had two paths: remain still or go out and secure better conditions,” Noboa wrote in a post on X, adding that his government opted for the latter.
Greer said the agreement aligns with Washington’s broader push to secure stronger commercial opportunities for American businesses.
In a statement, he said the deal opens Ecuador’s market of more than 18 million consumers to US agricultural and industrial exports while creating meaningful commercial access for American producers.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, which in February determined that the president had overstepped his authority by using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs on nearly all countries.
Despite the legal debate surrounding the broader tariff policy, the new US-Ecuador deal signals continued efforts by both governments to reshape trade relations and secure advantages for exporters on both sides.
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