Trending 
Colombia has imposed 100 per cent tariffs on imports from Ecuador, responding to a similar measure introduced by its neighbour a day earlier, according to the country’s commerce ministry.
The move marks the latest escalation in a months-long trade dispute between the two countries, driven in part by tensions between Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over security issues along their shared border.
Ecuador had earlier raised tariffs on Colombian goods from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, prompting a swift reciprocal response from Bogotá. Colombia has progressively matched Ecuador’s tariff increases this year, moving from 30 per cent to the current 100 per cent rate.
Colombia’s commerce minister, Diana Morales, said diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute had been exhausted, signalling a hardening stance from the government.
“We have exhausted all diplomatic efforts.”
Relations between the two Andean nations have further deteriorated following recent political remarks, including Petro’s description of former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas as a political prisoner. Glas, who served between 2013 and 2018, was sentenced last year to 13 years in prison on corruption charges but has alleged mistreatment while in custody.
Tensions also spilled into regional diplomacy, with Petro raising the possibility of Colombia withdrawing from the Andean Community of Nations, which includes Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of broader regional security concerns, as a large share of cocaine produced in Colombia and Peru is trafficked through Ecuador’s Pacific ports.
Ecuador, once considered relatively stable, has in recent years faced rising violence linked to criminal groups, contributing to worsening relations with its neighbours.
