Ecuador and the United States have signed a reciprocal trade agreement, eliminating a 15% tariff surcharge on more than half of Ecuador's non-oil exports after 10 months of negotiations.

The agreement was signed at the offices of the US Trade Representative in Washington on March 13 by Ecuador's minister of production, foreign trade and investments, Luis Alberto Jaramillo, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, following talks that began in May 2025 and concluded last month.

"President Trump is unlocking commercially meaningful market access for American farmers and manufacturers, opening Ecuador's market of over 18mn consumers to US agricultural and industrial exports," Greer said, adding that the deal would "further expand and diversify bilateral trade and investment to advance our shared interests while boosting America's competitiveness in Latin America."

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, one of Trump’s closest allies in the region, welcomed the signing in a post on social media, saying the country had chosen to "seek better conditions" rather than "remain stagnant", and that the agreement would benefit 53% of non-oil exports and "open the door for new Ecuadorian products" to reach the US market.

Noboa was among a group of conservative Latin American leaders who attended a summit in Miami on March 7, where Trump unveiled the "Shield of the Americas," a US-led regional security initiative aimed at coordinating action against drug trafficking and organised crime across the Western Hemisphere.

Ecuador was originally subject to a 15% reciprocal tariff imposed by the Trump administration after it announced sweeping global tariffs following the president's return to power. The deal covers more than 1,000 Ecuadorian products that will gain duty-free access to the US, including bananas, cacao, coffee, cut flowers, pitahaya and mango.

Under the agreement, Ecuador committed to reduce or eliminate tariffs in key sectors for the United States, including health products, chemicals, motor vehicles, machinery and information technology, as well as certain agricultural products. Ecuador also agreed to require transit visas for Haitians, Cubans and other nationalities deemed to pose a high risk of undocumented migration to the US, and will transfer authority for its space agency from military to civilian control to enable greater US engagement.

The agreement must now clear domestic legal hurdles before it can enter into force. Jaramillo said the government would submit the text to Quito's Constitutional Court this week, which will determine whether it can be ratified directly or must also pass through the National Assembly. The minister said he hoped the process would move quickly, telling Teleamazonas: "Jobs and investments can't wait."

Both sides are working towards a July target for the agreement to take effect, linked to the expiry of a US trade measure. Under the deal, the US will provide most-favoured-nation tariff treatment to Ecuador for certain qualifying goods that cannot be grown, mined or naturally produced in the United States, by the later of August 2026 or the date of entry into force of the agreement.

While business associations in Ecuador welcomed the deal as an opportunity to expand exports and attract foreign investment, analysts and opposition groups raised concerns about its potential impact on local producers facing increased competition from US imports. A meeting of the Ecuador-United States Trade and Investment Council is scheduled for June to evaluate the possible expansion of the agreement's product coverage.

The Ecuador deal follows a similar one struck with Argentina last month and is being watched as a potential template for upcoming US trade negotiations with other regional partners such as Guatemala.