Ecuador Looks to Panama as a Gateway to Wider Markets

Ecuador is looking to Panama for more than direct sales. The Central American country is being promoted as a logistics gateway that could help Ecuadorian companies reach markets across Central America and the Caribbean.

Non-oil trade between the two countries gave Ecuador a $29 million surplus in 2025. Ecuadorian exports totaled $107 million, compared with $78 million in imports, according to the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters, or Fedexpor. The relationship continued to expand in the first half of 2026, when exports grew 3% and imports rose 19% compared with the same period in 2025.

Panama ranked 25th among destinations for Ecuador's non-oil exports in 2025. It received more than 511 Ecuadorian products, with more than 292 companies involved in the sales. The main export groups included food and animal preparations, wood panels, machinery, other manufactured goods, and plastics. Together, those five groups accounted for 40% of non-oil exports.

The Ecuadorian Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism says Panama's value extends beyond its domestic demand. Chamber president María Isabel Espinosa pointed to the Panama Canal, port network, air links, Colón Free Zone, financial services and regional connections as assets for companies seeking to internationalize. Some goods serve the Panamanian market, while others enter logistics platforms for later re-export.

Trade also flows in the opposite direction. Ecuador imports fishery products, machinery, electrical equipment, animal products and pharmaceuticals from Panama. Those five groups represented 67% of Ecuador's non-oil imports, according to the figures provided.

“

Panama should be understood as a platform for the internationalization of Ecuadorian companies.