Turmoil in the U.S. boosts expat arrivals in Cuenca — and containers of household goods
By Stephen Vargha
With a deeply divided country that is full of hostility and indifference, Paul Wilches has seen an uptick in his business from U.S. customers.
A dry erasable board is used for Paul Wilches to monitor all of his shipments from across the world.
“It seems that Trump has increased my business,” said Paul Wilches. “I have been getting a lot of calls from the United States.”
Wilches, 53 years old, is the owner of Relocation Services of Ecuador. He has been shipping containers, with household goods, to and from Cuenca for 16 years, making it probably the oldest company of its type in Ecuador.
“Americans are telling me they want to move as soon as possible, as soon as they have finished their research,” said Wilches. “Some want to move now without any visas.”
People moving to Ecuador without obtaining a visa are facing a financial obstacle that others with a visa do not have.
“They need to put up a bond between $3,000 and $5,500 for a 20-foot container and between $5,000 and $13,000 for a 40-foot container,” said Wilches.
A sealed container arrives at a home in Cuenca.
Despite the financial hurdle, U.S. citizens are willing to do that to leave the country immediately.
They have not lost their money. The National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) will return the money once the visas have been obtained.
“A visa will release the money to only an Ecuadorian bank account,” said Wilches. “I have helped my customers open a bank account here so they can get their money back.”
In 2024, Wilches averaged seven to eight containers per month. He blames the low number on all of the bad news from Guayaquil and the coast being reported in the U.S. and Canada.
Despite bad news still being reported from Ecuador, business for Wilches has seen his business increased about 25 percent this year. Business is brisk as he is currently shipping up to 10 containers per month to Cuenca.
“Security is a big reason Americans are leaving the United States,” said Wilches. “But it is not just Americans as Ecuadorians in the U.S. are starting to contact me.”
Relocation Services of Ecuador has seen a 25 percent increase in shipments to Cuenca since Donald Trump took office.
The Ecuadorians reaching out to Wilches have been in the U.S. for 20 to 30 years. They had established families in that period of time.
“I have been contacted by them more than usual. It is becoming very tough for them to live there,” said Wilches. “In 2026, there will be a one percent charge to wire their money back to Ecuador, so now they are looking to move back home.”
Relocation Services of Ecuador has been recognized by the readers of GringoPost for six straight years as Cuenca’s best shipping company.
Glowing testimonials with names and contact information are on his website stating how happy they are with his service.
All of that is quite an honor, especially since Wilches never set out to move household goods to and from Ecuador.
Relocation Services of Ecuador arranges the entire shipping process, including this 40-foot container being loaded in Mebane, North Carolina.
In 1989, his father sent him to Ishpeming, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula, for a fifth year of high school. That is where Wilches learned English.
Returning to Cuenca, Wilches went to the University of Azuay to get a degree in Tourism and Business Administration. While attending school, Wilches had a full-time job with a big tour company.
Upon graduating college, Wilches was diagnosed with cancer. He recovered from cancer and entered the family tannery business.
“I wanted to get married, and my parents pushed me to go into the family business as they thought the tourism business, with many days away from home, was not good for a family,” said Wilches. “I thought it would only last three months, but it lasted until 2009.”
Relocation Services of Ecuador is located just outside of El Centro, at Edificio Acrópolis, on Av. José Peralta.
During his 14 years at the family business, Wilches started at the bottom of the ladder as a salesman. He worked his way up to Sales Manager and Import/Export Director.
His experience dealing with SENAE was the genesis for Relocation Services of Ecuador as well as 2008 being the beginning of U.S. citizens moving to Cuenca.
“I had a friend from Texas, and he wanted to move his belongings to Cuenca. At that time, no such business existed, so I told him I would help him,” said Wilches. “I did not charge him a cent. Somehow, everything went fine (Laughs).”
After helping his friend, Wilches started getting phone calls from the U.S., asking for his help.
“I was being recommended by many Americans as mouth-to-mouth is always the best publicity.”
His first real customer suggested forming a company to handle the new influx of people moving from North America to Cuenca.
“The American and I started the company, and he began publicizing it in the United States,” said Wilches. “He stayed with the company until 2014, when he moved back to the U.S.”
Paul Wilches is constantly on the phone, helping customers and making sure shipments make it to their destination.
Wilches found a new partner, an Ecuadorian. She was a partner until 2020, when she married a Frenchman and moved to France. Since her departure, Wilches has been the sole owner of the company.
Customers hail from around the world. Wilches has moved people to Ecuador from as far away as Australia and Saipan. Relocation Services of Ecuador has shipped containers from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Spain.
Costa Rica is a big source for his customers. They are originally from the U.S. Wilches said.
“Many of them did not know that Costa Rica is hot and humid and that the cost of living is a lot higher than Ecuador,” said Wilches.
Wilches ships from Cuenca, too. He has helped many move back to the U.S. and Canada. And he has shipped containers to Mexico and France.
Certain times of year can be a bit tricky to ship. The months of June, July, and August can be challenging.
“Shipping in the summer months is tough due lots of tonnage. Household goods are a low priority,” said Wilches. “A European shipping company cancelled two shipments of ours to Vancouver, Canada. We found another company as having it sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia would have been very expensive.”
The end result is that everyone gets their household goods in a timely manner no matter the obstacles, be it the shipping company or customs in Guayaquil.
As one person said online, “Most of all, he sends updates on the progress of shipping until it finally appears at your home in Ecuador. Muchas gracias a todos Paul.”
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Relocation Services of Ecuador, Edificio Acrópolis #201, Av. José Peralta 4-138 y Av. 12 de Abril, Cuenca, 098.723.6479, paulw@
Photos by Stephen Vargha
Stephen Vargha’s second edition of his book about Cuenca, “Una Nueva Vida – A New Life” is available at Amazon in digital and hardback formats. His award-winning blog, “Becoming Cuenca,” supplements his book with the latest information and hundreds of professional photos by him.
