Central Bank of Ecuador reports USD 2.144 billion January to May goods trade surplus as imports outpace exports

The Central Bank of Ecuador published updated external trade data showing a goods trade surplus of USD 2.144 billion for January to May 2026. The surplus remained positive but fell 38% from the same period in 2025 because imports grew faster than exports. Goods exports reached USD 16.288 billion, up 5% year over year, while imports rose 18% to USD 14.143 billion. The cumulative result was supported by favorable oil and non-oil trade balances. Oil exports totaled USD 4.054 billion, up 16%, as a 25% increase in the average price of Ecuadorian crude offset a 6% decline in export volumes. Non-oil exports rose 2%, with shrimp exports reaching USD 3.892 billion, mining exports USD 2.221 billion and banana and plantain exports USD 2.023 billion, while cacao and processed cacao exports fell 59% to USD 820 million. Excluding cacao, non-oil exports would have grown 14%. On the import side, fuels and lubricants increased 35% to USD 3.683 billion, with the United States the main source, while China remained the leading supplier of consumer goods, raw materials and capital goods. For May 2026 alone, the goods trade balance posted a USD 645 million surplus, compared with a USD 70 million deficit in April and a surplus 2% below May 2025. Exports rose to USD 3.698 billion, up 16% from April and 12% year over year, led by oil, mining and shrimp. Imports totaled USD 3.053 billion, down 7% from April but up 16% from a year earlier, with fuels and lubricants showing the strongest annual growth and capital goods the only category to increase on both a monthly and annual basis.