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Colombian and Ecuadorian merchants and truckers protest escalating trade war between both nations
Merchants and truckers demand tariff removal and dialogue as 38% of Ipiales' economy depends on cross-border trade, with tariffs seen as harming local economies, officials say.
- On Tuesday, Colombian and Ecuadorian truckers and merchants staged a protest at a border crossing, demanding governments remove trade measures and open dialogue, Carlos Bastidas said tariffs `generate crises`.
- Last month, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced 30% tariffs on Colombian goods as a `security tax` until Colombia takes `firm actions` against cartels; Colombia responded with matching tariffs and said it would stop electricity sales, with reciprocal tariffs taking effect on Feb. 1.
- Trade data show deep commercial links: about $2.3 billion last year, with Colombia sending about $1.7 billion to Ecuador; Ipiales, Colombia relies on Ecuador trade for 38% of its economy, Edison Mena said.
- Protesters warned of immediate harm to border provinces and energy companies on both sides of the border as Colombia's decision to stop selling electricity risks Ecuador's hydroelectric power amid recent outages.
- Security and cartel dynamics underscore the broader context as Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa framed tariffs as a `security tax` amid a 2025 homicide rate of 50 per 100,000 and rising drug cartels.
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Transporters, merchants and citizens of Ecuador and Colombia gathered Tuesday to protest the Rumichaca International Bridge, on the common border, in demand that both governments suspend the imposition of tariffs that ensure it affects bilateral trade.
Truck drivers, traders, importers, exporters and families living on the border demonstrated at the international bridge of Rumichaca, from the province of El Carchi (Ecuador) and the department of Nariño (Colombia).
Truckers Protest Trade Tariffs in Escalating Colombia-Ecuador Row
Colombian and Ecuadorian truckers staged a protest at the border against 30% tariffs on goods imposed by their governments. Both countries enacted these tariffs in an escalating trade war, with Ecuador citing Colombia's failure to curb cocaine flow. Critics argue the tariffs may mask internal issues.
Associated Press News
Colombian and Ecuadorian merchants and truckers protest escalating trade war between both nations
Colombian and Ecuadorian truckers and merchants are protesting at a border crossing against a trade war between their countries.
On February 1, Ecuador and Colombia escalated their diplomatic tension to the economic terrain with the entry into force of reciprocal tariffs of 30%. What President Daniel Noboa’s government justifies as a response to Bogotá’s lack of military cooperation on the border, has resulted in an immediate response from the Colombian Executive.
The commercial tension between Ecuador and Colombia is reflected on the northern border, where heavy cargo carriers carried out a peaceful plant on the international bridge of Rumichaca. The concentration developed in Tulc n and brought together drivers and union leaders from both countries, who expressed their rejection of the tariffs applied rec proca.
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