Ecuador and Dominican Republic Open Talks on Partial Trade Agreement
Ecuador and the Dominican Republic began negotiations on 6 July for a partial trade agreement to widen reciprocal market access. Ecuadorian exports to the Dominican Republic reached USD 148 million in 2025, with a positive trade balance of USD 128 million.
Negotiations open on partial trade agreement
Ecuador and the Dominican Republic began negotiations on Monday, 6 July, toward a partial trade agreement designed to widen reciprocal access to their respective markets, according to a statement from Ecuador's Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade and Investment cited by the news agency EFE.
The first round is being held virtually. According to EFE, the delegations are negotiating market access, rules of origin, trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade defense, dispute settlement and institutional matters. The ministry said these areas would establish clear rules to ease trade and support competitiveness for the productive sectors of both countries.
Trade flows and balance
The bilateral relationship currently favors Ecuador. In 2025, Ecuadorian exports to the Dominican Republic reached USD 148 million, against imports of Dominican products worth USD 19 million, leaving Ecuador with a positive trade balance of USD 128 million, according to EFE.
The momentum has continued into the current year. Between January and March 2026, Ecuadorian exports to the Dominican Republic grew 11.4% compared with the same period a year earlier.
What Ecuador ships
The main products Ecuador exports to the Dominican Republic are raw tobacco, electrical appliances, metal manufactures, shrimp and natural flowers, among others. The ministry pointed to that mix as evidence of the potential of Ecuador's exportable supply in the Dominican market.
- Raw tobacco
- Electrical appliances
- Metal manufactures
- Shrimp
- Natural flowers
Next steps
The scope on the table is deliberately partial rather than a comprehensive free trade agreement, focusing on defined tariff lines and trade rules rather than full liberalization. A partial agreement lets both governments lock in gains on specific products while leaving sensitive sectors outside the initial deal.
The second round of negotiations will be held in person in the Dominican Republic in the coming weeks, according to EFE. For exporters, the virtual first round sets the agenda; the tariff lines and origin rules that emerge from the following rounds will determine how much of the current USD 148 million trade actually moves under preferential terms.