Crude oil, seafood and bananas place among Ecuador’s highest value exports. Gold, lumber and frozen vegetables were also among the 20 most valuable Ecuadorian export products.
The following list shows from which products Ecuadorian exporters generate the most cashflow. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which the Ecuador has strong competitive advantages compared with other nations — and therefore opportunities for beneficial trade partnerships.
For the most recent data on Ecuador’s exported goods, please see the link to Ecuador’s Top 10 Exports in the See also paragraph below.
Most Valuable Ecuadorian Export Products
Below are the 20 most valuable export products that Ecuadorian exporters shipped in 2017. Shown within brackets is the percentage change in value for each item year over year.
- Crude oil: US$6.2 billion (up 22.5% since 2016)
- Crustaceans (including lobsters): $3 billion (up 17.8%)
- Bananas, plantains: $3 billion (up 11.1%)
- Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared): $1.2 billion (up 29.2%)
- Fresh or dried flowers (for bouquets, ornamental): $881.5 million (up 9.8%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $722.2 million (up 89.7%)
- Cocoa beans: $589.8 million (down -5.2%)
- Palm oil: $208.3 million (down -8.7%)
- Gold (unwrought): $167.6 million (down -36%)
- Inedible meat flour: $120.5 million (down -23.6%)
- Miscellaneous preserved fruits: $115.5 million (down -3.4%)
- Frozen vegetables: $114.5 million (up 17.7%)
- Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates: $101.9 million (down -21.3%)
- Particle board, other ligneous materials: $97.2 million (up 7.2%)
- Fish fillets, pieces: $94.3 million (up 3.1%)
- Sawn wood: $91.2 million (down -25.4%)
- Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas: $89.3 million (up 7.9%)
- Whole fish (frozen): $83.3 million (down -5.7%)
- Iron and steel stoves, barbecues: $79.1 million (up 12.1%)
- Precious metal ores, concentrates: $68.3 million (up 185.2%)
Ecuadorian exports of precious metal ores and concentrates posted the greatest uptick in international sales, up by 185.2% from 2016 to 2017.
In second place was exported refined petroleum oils which improved by 89.7%. In contrast, Ecuadorian shipments of crude oil appreciated by 22.5%.
Exports of fish and caviar also gained respectably, up 29.2% from 2013. Exported lobsters and other crustaceans moved ahead in value by 17.8%.
Leading the decliners was exported gold from Ecuador which retreated -36% in value and a -25.4% drop for sawn wood exports.
See also Ecuador’s Top 10 Exports, Ecuador’s Top 10 Imports and Ecuador’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on Feburary 14, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on Feburary 14, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on Feburary 14, 2018