Smuggling in Ecuador increased due to the economic crisis and the warehouses of the National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) are full of tons of products that cannot be donated, auctioned or destroyed because they are part of judicial processes.
The increase in seized items, between 2020 and 2021, is 130%, which means that more than double the number of items tried to enter through illegal means. The most smuggled product is rice. In Loja, from January to June 2020, the seized merchandise had a value of USD 4,830; in 2021 it exceeded USD 60,000.
Smuggling affects the Ecuadorian industry. The prices of smuggled rice are three times lower than local rice. On the other hand, a tobacco factory had to close because it could not compete with the cigarettes that had entered the country illegally.
The Ministry of Agriculture coordinates actions to export Ecuadorian rice to Colombia, to provide a solution to farmers
On the other hand, the merchandise that is no longer part of any investigation, was donated to the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES). SENAE delivered the donations for the benefit of children, youth, people with disabilities and people who are under the protection of the State.
The donations are the result of apprehensions carried out in Huaquillas, Tulcán and Cuenca, for a value of more than USD 1.2 million. The items that were donated are: clothing, footwear and appliances.
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