Exporters benefit from production issues in other Latin American countries
Ecuador exported 199.75mn boxes (18.14kg) of bananas between January and June 2025 according to the latest figures from Acorbanec. The figure represents an increase of 5.82 per cent compared to the year-earlier period.
Shipments grew across all major markets. The European Union, the biggest destination for Ecuadorean bananas, saw an 8.35 per cent increase in sales, while exports to China grew 44.64 per cent year-on-year between January and June 2025.
Shipments to Russia grew 10.72 per cent to represent 19.68 per cent of the total, while the Middle East saw an increase of 12.54 per cent, taking 13.94 per cent of the total. Shipments to the US grew 8.63 per cent to make up 12.96 per cent of the total.
Acorbanec said increased production was one of the main factors for the growth. Although bagging and harvests decreased by 1.01per cent compared to the same period last year,””the physiological development of the plants was normal and the bunch yield was higher. This allowed for greater export availability, especially in January”.
The improvement was also fuelled by a fall in banana production in Central America during the first half of 2025, mainly due to climatic factors in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras, which generated increased demand for Ecuadorean bananas from key markets such as the US and EU, and the labour dispute in Bocas del Toro, Panama, which forced Chiquita to close its operation.
Of the 199.75mn boxes exported in the first half of 2025, 4.12 per cent were organic bananas, 1.45 per cent were baby bananas and 0.06 per cent were purple or red bananas.
The Port of Guayaquil accounted for 49.49 per cent of shipments. It was followed by Puerto Posorja, with 28.45 per cent, and Puerto Bolívar, with 22.06 per cent.
