Colombia has eliminated retaliatory 30% tariffs on Ecuadorian products following a bilateral trade conflict, restoring normal commercial relations between the neighboring nations. The decision, issued by decree, follows pressure from the Andean Community and marks a resolution to tensions that had disrupted bilateral trade.
Ecuador is a presidential republic in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia and Peru and fronting the Pacific, with sovereignty over the Galápagos Islands. Under President Daniel Noboa, the country's dominant fault line is a severe security crisis driven by transnational drug-trafficking gangs, which has reshaped domestic politics and prompted closer security cooperation with the United States and regional partners. Ecuador maintains a generally outward-looking foreign policy within Latin America, balancing ties to the U.S. and trade partners like China while navigating periodic tensions with neighbors over migration and cross-border crime. Domestically, politics remain polarized between Noboa's bloc and the rival Correísta movement, with indigenous organizations also a significant political force.