A diplomatic feud between Ecuador and Russia escalated as Ecuador faced a ban on banana imports over a recent dispute involving the transfer of old Russian military equipment to the United States. Ecuador’s decision to send outdated Russian equipment to the U.S. in exchange for $200 million in new military gear strained relations. In response, Russia’s federal agency for veterinary and phytosanitary controls prohibited imports from five Ecuadorian banana companies, citing the discovery of a disease in previous fruit shipments. Ecuador, the world’s top banana exporter with 2022 sales reaching $3.5 billion, relies significantly on the Russian market, constituting about a fifth of its annual sales.

The ban is seen by some, including Carlos Estarellas, a former Ecuadorian vice minister for foreign affairs, as potential retaliation for Ecuador’s military equipment decision. Estarellas expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution to the impasse. Meanwhile, Richard Salazar, director of ACORBANEC, a major association of Ecuadorian banana exporters, expressed surprise at Russia’s “drastic” decision, emphasizing the importance of the Russian market and the difficulty of finding an immediate replacement. While 15 companies reportedly continue to export bananas to Russia, Salazar revealed efforts to engage Russian authorities in diplomatic talks to overturn the ban, highlighting the critical nature of the issue for Ecuador’s economy.