This problem has become a critical obstacle, especially for the banana sector, and is generating uncertainty in key markets such as the US and Europe.
Although in 2024 Ecuadorian non-oil exports closed with a growth of 12%, with US$ 24,849 million, there is expectation in the export sector for the first results of 2025 and to know if the general trend will continue to rise. For now, one of the main products in that basket, bananas, reported an increase of almost 3% in shipments in January; and the first product, shrimp, which in 2024 closed with -3%, with US$ 6,992 million in exports, is awaiting in these days the report of shipments for the first month of the year.
The export sector's concern is focused on the logistical problems that have arisen in these first weeks of 2025 due to the lack of containers that affect the activity. For the executive president of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), José Antonio Hidalgo, the lack of empty containers has become a critical obstacle for Ecuadorian exports, particularly affecting the banana sector.
He explains that this problem arises due to the interruption in the rotation of containers, since ships from Asia and other regions are arriving late, which prevents their timely replacement. In addition, competition for these containers is intense, with markets such as Chile and other countries in the Southern Cone absorbing much of the availability. Added to this is the priority that shipping companies give to more profitable routes, which is disadvantageous to Ecuadorian exporters and increases freight costs.
Hidalgo regrets that the situation is aggravated by the country's limited port capacity, which has not grown at the same rate as cargo demand.
“Delays in shipments not only increase logistics costs, but also affect product quality, especially in sectors such as bananas, where a delay in export shortens the shelf life of the fruit in destination markets. In addition, the shortage of containers has caused interruptions in the shipping process, generating uncertainty for international customers, especially in key markets such as the United States and Europe,” comments the AEBE spokesperson.
It indicates that without a structural solution that includes improvements in port infrastructure and greater flexibility in the allocation of containers, the competitiveness of the Ecuadorian export sector will continue to be compromised.
Richard Salazar, executive director and administrator of the Association for the Marketing and Exportation of Bananas of Ecuador (Acorbanec), confirms that the banana sector was indeed affected, especially in the first weeks of January, but the situation has been improving until now.
Remember that in week eight one service (a ship) did not arrive, and although it was a very specific issue, this last week a delay was reported in the Baltic service, a shipping company that takes bananas to Russia, which in January remained the second best market for Ecuadorian fruit, with 19.42% of total banana exports, only surpassed by the European Union (32.61%).
For his part, Xavier Rosero, vice president of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), confirms that these loading problems have been evident for some products since the end of 2024 and that this year "there are products that suffered significant delays in dispatch."
He also explains that another cause of these logistical problems is the problems in the Suez Canal. “The ships have to go around southern Africa, which means they spend longer in transit.”
The Suez Canal and other geopolitical factors
Hidalgo says that the global logistics situation is worsening due to geopolitical factors, one of which is precisely what is happening in this canal, which links the Red Sea with the Mediterranean and is the main artificial navigation route on the planet, through which 12% of the world's maritime traffic circulates.
Remember that since November 2023, attacks by Houthi rebels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have compromised maritime security on critical routes, forcing shipping lines to divert their routes around southern Africa, adding more than a month to navigation time.
This instability, combined with congestion in ports in China, Korea, Mexico and Panama, has disrupted the timing of the return of ships and the availability of containers, directly affecting exporting countries such as Ecuador.
And although shipping companies have increased the acquisition of ships and containers, global port infrastructure has not grown at the same pace, creating bottlenecks that limit export capacity, according to Hidalgo. “The combination of these factors puts the stability of international trade at risk, affecting the competitiveness of Ecuadorian exporters and generating additional costs in the logistics chain,” he warns.
