CAN: 10 Days to Remove Trade Barriers Between Colombia and Ecuador

Under the framework of the Cartagena Agreement, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community issued three resolutions on May 7, 2026, classifying certain measures adopted by Ecuador and Colombia as restrictions or charges contrary to the Liberalization Program.

• Resolution No. 2581: Declared Ecuador's measure limiting the entry of Colombian goods exclusively through Rumichaca to be a trade restriction.

• Resolution No. 2582: Classified Ecuador's "customs control service fee" as a charge.

• Resolution No. 2583: Determined that Colombia's "reciprocal tariff" and the entry restrictions through Ipiales and Puerto Asís constituted a charge and restrictions on subregional trade.

• In all three cases, a 10-business-day deadline was set to lift the measures, reaffirming member states' obligation to guarantee legal certainty and economic integration within the Andean region.

The Andean Community's rulings were foreseeable, as they responded to a flawed trade policy that escalated into a tariff war.

The Ecuadorian government's attempt to tighten border controls ultimately proved to be a misguided and technically unsound decision, one that in practice affected legitimate trade operators and the jobs tied to the free movement of goods.

Source:

Secretaría General de la Comunidad Andina. Gaceta Oficial, no. 5755 (Lima, 7 de mayo de 2026). Comunidad Andina. https://www.comunidadandina.org/normativa-files//uploads/Gaceta_5755_5841a53079.pdf.