Colombian and Ecuadorian truckers and traders denounce trade war, many protest at the border

On the border between Ecuador and Colombia, truckers and traders from both countries gathered on Tuesday to protest against the escalation of a trade war that directly threatens the economy of the border region of the two countries.

Truckers are blocking access to the Colombia-Ecuador border crossing to protest tariffs that went into effect on Sunday.

The protesters are demanding the removal of the 30% tariffs imposed on dozens of products. They argue that these punitive measures weaken local businesses, penalize transporters, and risk affecting energy companies on both sides of the border. “Taxes create crises; they don’t help the economy,” denounced Carlos Bastidas, president of an Ecuadorian transporters’ association.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa imposed the tariffs last month, accusing Bogotá of not doing enough to curb cocaine trafficking across the shared border. He called the tariffs a “security tax,” asserting that they would remain in place until Colombia took “firm measures” against the cartels.

In response, Colombia imposed equivalent tariffs on Ecuadorian products, including rice and auto parts, and announced it would halt electricity sales to its neighbor. These reciprocal measures took effect on February 1st.

While the two countries are not each other’s primary trading partners, their border economies are closely intertwined. In Ipiales, a Colombian town near the border, 38% of economic activity depends on trade with Ecuador, according to Edison Mena, a local representative of truckers.

President Noboa’s critics believe this trade dispute is also intended to divert attention from internal security challenges. The tariff announcement came the same week as the release of statistics showing a record homicide rate in Ecuador in 2025, a country that has become a major transit point for cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru.