Ecuador Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ecuador, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Standards for Trade
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The Ecuadorian Standards Institute (INEN), an affiliated institution of the Ministry of Production, Trade, Investment, and Fisheries, sets national standards. INEN is a member of the International Standards Organization (ISO), the Pan-American Technical Standards Commission (COPANT), the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC), the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), and the Organization Internationale de Metrologie Legale (OIML). INEN is also affiliated with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Affiliate Conformity Assessment Status (ACAS) from IEC.  

Shippers of products subject to technical standards must obtain the INEN-1 certificate to clear customs. INEN-1 has a one-year validity.  INEN has regulations (142) that are compulsory and norms (7,267) that are voluntary. It is highly recommended that U.S. companies review INEN’s up-to-date products list and its regulations.

Ecuador’s Agriculture Quality Assurance Agency (AGROCALIDAD) is an agency within the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) responsible for administering Ecuador’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls. As a WTO member country, Ecuador must comply with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  

The National Agency of Sanitary Control and Vigilance (ARCSA) is the regulating body for sanitary controls.  ARCSA is an agency under the Ministry of Public Health (MSP). Sanitary registrations or notifications are required for imported and domestic products such as:   

Ecuador accepts the U.S. Certificate of Free Sale authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For cosmetics and personal care items, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificates can be issued by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) or any other independent association.   

Standards and Technical Regulations

As an International Standards Organization (ISO) member, Ecuador generally uses ISO parameters for standards development.  Besides ISO, the Ecuadorian Standards Institute (INEN) also uses International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, as well as Codex Alimentarius Commission guidelines.  Most INEN regulations include an equivalence from other standards bodies such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or Underwriter Laboratories (UL).  However, when the importer is required to file an equivalence for any given standard there is a specific procedure to be followed.  

INEN welcomes parties to participate in standards development and receives e-mails directly at reglamentacion@normalizacion.gob.ec.

Testing, Inspection, and Certification

Created in 2007 and linked closely to the Ecuadorian Standards Institute (INEN), the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (SAE) qualifies laboratories or institutions that may issue conformity assessment certificates.  View the list of accredited and recognized SAE bodies as needed. 

Products that require INEN certification, and therefore testing, include:  

  • Vehicles
  • Refrigerators and kitchen appliances
  • Stoves and ranges
  • Tires
  • Electric generators
  • Textiles, apparel, footwear, and accessories
  • Certain construction materials such as Portland cement, steel bars, tubing, and piping
  • Certain automotive components such as security glass, spark plugs, and brake pads
  • Automotive brake fluids and lubricants
  • Ceramic tableware and kitchenware
  • Food products
  • Toys
  • Cosmetics and personal care items
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Fans
  • Washing machines and dryers
  • Pipes and pipeline accessories
  • Wires
  • Valves
  • Radios, televisions, and computers
  • Jewelry and articles manufactured with pearls and precious metals
  • Bags, briefcases, and backpacks  

Review the fees related to accreditation for laboratories as needed. 

Publication of Technical Regulations

The Ecuadoran Standards Institute (INEN) oversees the publication of new and revised technical regulations and standards. These regulations are published in Ecuador’s Official Gazette.   

For every modified regulation issued, there is a comment period both with the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee and with the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) .  INEN also works with industry to receive feedback on regulations.  

USTR’s National Trade Estimate (NTE) is an annual report detailing foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. exporters and  efforts to reduce those barriers.  The NTE includes a chapter on Ecuador.

Contact Information

  • Servicio Ecuatoriano de Normalización, (INEN) 
    Baquerizo Moreno E8-29 y Diego de Almagro, Quito 170143 
    (593) 2-382-5960 

  • Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA)
    Ciudadela Samanes, Av. Francisco de Orellana y Av. Paseo del Parque. Parque Samanes Bloque 5, Guayaquil 090112 
    (593) 4-372-7440 

  • Agencia de Regulación y Control Fito y Zoosanitario (AGROCALIDAD)
    Av. Eloy Alfaro N30-350 y Av. Amazonas
    (593) 2-382-8860 

  • Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador (SENAE)
    Malecón Simón Bolívar entre 9 de Octubre y P. Icaza, Guayaquil - Ecuador 
    (593) 4-373-1030 

  • Servicio de Acreditación Ecuatoriano (SAE) 
    Av. Amazonas N38-42 y Villalengua
    (593) 2-245-4393 

 

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995, to present. ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and is a versatile tool that can be used to:  

  • Follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest,
  • Receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are distributed,
  • Find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees.

As obligated under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates an Enquiry Point. National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat. All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point. Refer to the comment guidance at https://www.nist.gov/notifyus/commenting for further information. This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.