Colombia blasts Ecuador's pipeline fee hike as trade war between neighbors escalates

BOGOTA, Colombia -- BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia on Tuesday blasted Ecuador’s decision to hike up transportation fees for Colombian oil, calling the move an act of “aggression,” as a trade war between the two Andean nations intensifies.Ecuador announced Monday a tenfold increase in fees for Colombian companies using its oil pipelines, raising the rate from $3 to $30 per barrel.The move would make it harder for oil companies in Colombia to use a pipeline that takes oil from western Ecuador and southwestern Colombia to ports along the Pacific Ocean.One of the companies that will most likely be affected is Colombia's state-run Ecopetrol, which uses the pipeline to move more than 12,000 barrels of oil per day.“This is a new aggression against the people,” said Colombian Energy Minister Edwin Palma.Ecuador hiked its pipeline fees days after Colombia suspended electricity sales to its neighbor.

The power cutoff was a major blow to Ecuador, which relies largely on hydroelectric power and suffered from serious power outages in 2024 following a spell of dry weather.The trade war between the neighboring countries started last Thursday, when Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports.Noboa, a conservative who has sought to deepen ties with the Trump administration, has described the tariffs as a “security tax,” saying last week on social platform X that Colombia was not taking “firm actions” to fight drug cartels that operate along their shared border and send cocaine to Ecuador.Noboa said the tariffs would be in place “until there is a true commitment” on behalf of Colombia to fight drug trafficking and illegal mining.Colombian officials have dismissed the accusations, noting that under the administration of Colombian President Gustavo Petro there have been record numbers of cocaine seizures.However, production continues to hit all-time highs, driven by increased lab efficiency and a surge in cultivated hectares...