Ecuador - Balanza comercial

Ecuador's trade deficit narrowed to USD 270.1 million in October 2019 from USD 357.7 million in the corresponding month of the previous year. Imports dropped 1.4 percent over a year earlier to USD 2012.8 million, mainly due to lower purchases of commodities (-11.6 percent), namely industrial (-14.7 percent) and construction materials (-26.9 percent); capital goods (-2.9 percent), in particular transport equipment (-9.2 percent); consumption (-10.4 percent), of which durable (-25.1 percent); and fuels & lubricants (-30.1 percent). Exports fell 11.5 percent to USD 1741.1 million, as sales declined for commodity goods (-9 percent), mainly crude oil (-19 percent), bananas (-5 percent), cacao (-40.9 percent) and tuna (-42.8 percent); and industrial (-20.4 percent), of which petroleum derivatives (-27.5 percent), metals (-33.7 percent), and chemicals & pharmaceutic products (-22.8 percent).

Ecuador's trade deficit narrowed to USD 23.1 million in September 2019 from USD 73.2 million in the corresponding month of the previous year. Imports declined 6.8 percent year-on-year to USD 1791.2 million, mostly due to lower purchases of commodities (-7.4 percent), of which industrial (-9.2 percent), and construction materials (-6 percent); capital goods (-6.7 percent), namely industrial (-5 percent), and transport equipment (-6.7 percent); and fuels & lubricants (-16.2 percent). Exports fell 4.3 percent to USD 1768.1 million, mainly due to lower sales of commodity goods (-4.7 percent), in particular cacao (-16.2 percent), flowers (-1 percent) and tuna (-18.5 percent); and industrial (-2.8 percent), of which petroleum derivatives (-25.3 percent), metals (-4.5 percent), and chemicals & pharmaceutic products (-29.8 percent).

Ecuador's trade balance shifted to a USD 5.1 million surplus in July 2019 from a USD 132.6 million deficit in the corresponding month of the previous year. Exports increased 3.8 percent over a year earlier to USD 1981.8 million, boosted by higher sales of commodity goods (2.7 percent), namely shrimps (30 percent), wood (6.7 percent), cacao (12.7 percent), and flowers (17 percent); and industrial (7.1 percent), of which petroleum derivatives (59.8 percent) and chemicals & pharmaceutic products (38.9 percent). Imports dropped 3.2 percent to USD 1976.7 million, mostly due to lower purchases of commodities (-16.4 percent), in particular industrial (-13.7 percent); agricultural (-28 percent); and construction materials (-6.1 percent).

Ecuador's trade deficit narrowed to USD 118.3 million in May 2019 from USD 125.9 million in the corresponding month of the previous year. Exports rose 2 percent year-on-year to USD 1990.0 million driven by higher sales of commodity goods (1.3 percent), in particular shrimps (9.9 percent), bananas (3.2 percent), flowers (2 percent) and fish (33.9 percent); and industrial (4.7 percent), namely petroleum derivatives (53.4 percent) and chemicals & pharmaceutic products (22.5 percent). Imports went up 1.5 percent to USD 2108.4 million, boosted by higher purchases of capital goods (28.7 percent), of which industrial (12.7 percent) and transport equipment (68 percent). Meanwhile, purchases fell for consumption goods (-5.2 percent), mainly durable (-10.4 percent); commodities (-5.2 percent), mostly industrial (-10.9 percent); and fuels & lubricants (-10.1 percent).

Ecuador's trade deficit narrowed to USD 20.9 million in April 2019 from USD 80.0 million in the same month of the previous year. It was the smallest trade gap since January 2017, as exports increased 9.6 percent year-on-year to USD 1989.1 million boosted by higher sales of commodity goods (15.5 percent), namely crude oil (39.1 percent), shrimps (4.6 percent), and fish (5.6 percent). Imports advanced 6.1 percent to USD 2010.0 million, driven by higher purchases of capital goods (7.7 percent), of which industrial (5.8 percent) and transport equipment (17.1 percent); consumption (9.1 percent), mostly non-durable (33.3 percent); and fuels & lubricants (23.8 percent). Meanwhile, purchases of commodities dropped (-6.4 percent), in particular agricultural (-10.4 percent) and industrial (-7.6 percent).

Ecuador's trade surplus widened to USD 108.0 million in March 2019 from USD 95.0 million in the same month of the previous year. It was the largest trade surplus since April 2017, as exports rose 5.2 percent year-on-year to USD 1949.5 million, driven by higher sales of commodity goods (7.5 percent), namely crude oil (12.7 percent), shrimps (12.1 percent), and fish (0.4 percent). Imports went up 4.8 percent to USD 1841.5 million, boosted by higher purchases of commodities (7.1 percent), of which agricultural (5.7 percent), industrial (3.5 percent) and building materials (47.0 percent); and fuels & lubricants (40.8 percent). On the other hand, purchases declined for capital goods (-5.2 percent), mostly agricultural (-21.6 percent) and transport equipment (-23.6 percent); and consumption goods (-10.5 percent), in particular durable (-22.2 percent). Considering the first quarter of the year, the country recorded a USD 271.0 million trade shortfall.