Summary
- Exports
- $37.8billion
- Imports
- $29.4billion
- Trade balance
- +$8.4billion
Products
What it exports
Crude petroleum (34.6%) and crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab) (16.4%) together make up 51% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (13.7%) and coal tar oils (7.7%) together make up 21.5% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $14 billion | $7.5 billion |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $6.6 billion | $153 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $4.8 billion | $148 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $2.9 billion | $55 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $1.9 billion | $2 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $1.7 billion | $19 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $1.2 billion | $27 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $894 million | $42 million |
| 44 · Wood | $521 million | $52 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $396 million | $83 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $247 million | $57 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $227 million | $257 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $197 million | $295 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $196 million | $1.3 billion |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $194 million | $1.2 billion |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $174 million | $2.3 billion |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $134 million | $426 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $120 million | $9 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $114 million | $166 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $110 million | $44 million |
| 74 · Copper | $102 million | $119 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $89 million | $3.2 billion |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $73 million | $609 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $63 million | $141 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $55 million | $370 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $49 million | $578 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $47 million | $1.1 billion |
| 78 · Lead | $46 million | $11 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $39 million | $137 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $38 million | $190 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $34 million | $124 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $33 million | $689 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $27 million | $98 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $23 million | $66 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $23 million | $615 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $23 million | $55 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $23 million | $1 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $23 million | $66 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $23 million | $196 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $22 million | $147 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $22 million | $32 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $19 million | $208 million |
| 70 · Glass | $19 million | $132 million |
| 65 · Hats | $18 million | $23 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $15 million | $46 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $15 million | $130 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $13 million | $588 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $13 million | $150 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $11 million | $4 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $11 million | $181 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $10 million | $24 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $9 million | $2.1 billion |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $8 million | $90 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $8 million | $82 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $8 million | $455 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $7 million | $457 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $7 million | $53 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $7 million | $167 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $7 million | $51 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $6 million | $62 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $6 million | $218 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $5 million | $500 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $4 million | $22 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $3 million | $1 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $3 million | $68 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $3 million | $77 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $3 million | $96 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $2 million | $131 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $2 million | $13 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $2 million | $144 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $2 million | $50 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $2 million | $22 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $2 million | $31 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $2 million | $11 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $1 million | $785 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $1 million | $38 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $1 million | $29 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $661 thousand | $17 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $632 thousand | $106 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $588 thousand | $7 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $444 thousand | $17 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $429 thousand | $29 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $400 thousand | $792 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $188 thousand | $17 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $128 thousand | $7 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $107 thousand | $3 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $102 thousand | $7 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $55 thousand | $2 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $49 thousand | $16 million |
| 80 · Tin | $38 thousand | $1 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $37 thousand | $4 million |
| 51 · Wool | $17 thousand | $2 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $11 thousand | $6 million |
| 50 · Silk | $3 thousand | $143 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $795 | $999 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $27 | $15 million |
Trading partners
Its main destination is China (20.2% of exports) and its main source is the United States (26.9% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 7.6 | 20.2% | Sea |
| United States | 6.3 | 16.6% | Sea |
| Panama | 5.7 | 15% | Sea |
| Peru | 1.5 | 4.1% | Land |
| Japan | 1.2 | 3.3% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 0.97 | 2.6% | Sea |
| Spain | 0.95 | 2.5% | Sea |
| Chile | 0.93 | 2.5% | Sea |
| Canada | 0.89 | 2.4% | Sea |
| Colombia | 0.86 | 2.3% | Land |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7.9 | 26.9% | Sea |
| China | 6.7 | 22.8% | Sea |
| Colombia | 2.1 | 7.3% | Land |
| Brazil | 1 | 3.6% | Sea |
| Peru | 0.97 | 3.3% | Land |
| Italy | 0.85 | 2.9% | Sea |
| South Korea | 0.8 | 2.7% | Sea |
| Argentina | 0.68 | 2.3% | Sea |
| Spain | 0.68 | 2.3% | Sea |
| Canada | 0.64 | 2.2% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Ecuador accounted for 0.17% of world exports, compared with 0.1% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 7-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 37.8
- Imports 29.4
- Balance +8.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $5.2 billion | $4.7 billion | $528 million |
| 1996 | $5.8 billion | $4.2 billion | $1.5 billion |
| 1997 | $6.1 billion | $5.1 billion | $973 million |
| 1998 | $5.4 billion | $6 billion | -$641 million |
| 1999 | $5.6 billion | $3.5 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 2000 | $6 billion | $3.8 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 2001 | $5.8 billion | $5.7 billion | $64 million |
| 2002 | $6.2 billion | $6.9 billion | -$711 million |
| 2003 | $7.6 billion | $6.9 billion | $609 million |
| 2004 | $10.2 billion | $8.3 billion | $1.9 billion |
| 2005 | $12.3 billion | $10.3 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 2006 | $14.7 billion | $12.7 billion | $2 billion |
| 2007 | $16.1 billion | $14.1 billion | $2 billion |
| 2008 | $21.8 billion | $19.7 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 2009 | $16.1 billion | $15.7 billion | $478 million |
| 2010 | $19.9 billion | $21.6 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2011 | $25.1 billion | $24.7 billion | $395 million |
| 2012 | $26.2 billion | $26 billion | $210 million |
| 2013 | $27.5 billion | $27.5 billion | $38 million |
| 2014 | $28.3 billion | $28.2 billion | $79 million |
| 2015 | $20.7 billion | $22 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2016 | $18.6 billion | $16.8 billion | $1.8 billion |
| 2017 | $21.2 billion | $20.1 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 2018 | $23.6 billion | $23.6 billion | -$17 million |
| 2019 | $25.5 billion | $23.2 billion | $2.3 billion |
| 2020 | $22.8 billion | $18.3 billion | $4.4 billion |
| 2021 | $29.3 billion | $26.3 billion | $3 billion |
| 2022 | $37.2 billion | $33.4 billion | $3.9 billion |
| 2023 | $37.6 billion | $29.9 billion | $7.7 billion |
| 2024 | $37.8 billion | $29.4 billion | $8.4 billion |
World rank
Ecuador fell from 63rd to 65th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 63rd in 1995
- 65th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 63rd |
| 1996 | 63rd |
| 1997 | 63rd |
| 1998 | 68th |
| 1999 | 68th |
| 2000 | 72nd |
| 2001 | 73rd |
| 2002 | 73rd |
| 2003 | 74th |
| 2004 | 73rd |
| 2005 | 69th |
| 2006 | 71st |
| 2007 | 71st |
| 2008 | 71st |
| 2009 | 71st |
| 2010 | 70th |
| 2011 | 70th |
| 2012 | 71st |
| 2013 | 70th |
| 2014 | 69th |
| 2015 | 69th |
| 2016 | 71st |
| 2017 | 69th |
| 2018 | 70th |
| 2019 | 70th |
| 2020 | 68th |
| 2021 | 69th |
| 2022 | 69th |
| 2023 | 66th |
| 2024 | 65th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still oil, gas and coal: 37% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 10%
- Live plants and flowers 2%
- Gems and precious metals 3%
- Prepared meat and fish 4%
- Ores and slag 5%
- Cocoa and chocolate 8%
- Fruit and nuts 13%
- Fish and seafood 17%
- Oil, gas and coal 37%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, gas and coal | 28.8% | 37.1% |
| Fish and seafood | 16.5% | 17.4% |
| Fruit and nuts | 25.7% | 12.8% |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 3.1% | 7.6% |
| Ores and slag | 0.02% | 5.1% |
| Prepared meat and fish | 3.4% | 4.5% |
| Gems and precious metals | 2% | 3.2% |
| Live plants and flowers | 1.9% | 2.4% |
| Other | 18.6% | 10% |
Who it trades with
China went from 0.6% to 21% of Ecuador's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 21%
- United States 21%
- Panama 9%
- Colombia 4%
- Peru 4%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0.62% | 21.3% |
| United States | 34% | 21.1% |
| Panama | 2.3% | 8.6% |
| Colombia | 7.2% | 4.5% |
| Peru | 1.2% | 3.7% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
- Oriente basin (conventional onshore)
- Oriente basin (heavy oil)
- Guayaquil Cement Plant
Sources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.