Ecuador's banana exports rise by 9.6%

Ecuador exported 312.43 million boxes of bananas (18.14 kg each) between January and September 2026, 27.28 million more than in the same period of 2025 (+9.57%), according to its exporters’ association, AEBE. This is also the highest export volume for these nine months since 2023. In September alone, 30.14 million boxes were shipped, 9.2% more than a year earlier and the highest figure on record for that month. Cumulative growth stabilized at 9.6%: after starting the year with increases exceeding 11%, it moderated to 6.7% in May and rebounded starting in July, with monthly growth rates nearing 19% in July and August.

Europe, the Middle East, and Russia: The Driving Forces

The European Union contributed an additional 13.01 million boxes (+14.8%), accounting for nearly half of the growth (47.7%). The Middle East added 5.91 million (+13.9%) and Russia, 5.79 million (+10.3%), each accounting for just over one-fifth of the increase. The Southern Cone grew by 12.0%, and the United States by 2.2%. By country, Turkey stood out (+7.53 million cases; +49.5%), becoming the third-largest destination ahead of the Netherlands; Saudi Arabia (+5.05 million; +38.3%), Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and China (+15.3%). Germany, on the other hand, purchased 12.0% less. In the Middle East, the growth in Turkey and Saudi Arabia more than offset the decline in the Persian Gulf, where access by sea depends on the Strait of Hormuz: those markets fell from 11.66 to 4.76 million boxes (−59.2%), and Iraq has not recorded any shipments this year. Africa (−20.3%) and Central Asia (−5.0%) also declined.

For more information on Ecuador’s exports in 2026, click here.