Ecuadorian banana exports recorded cumulative growth of 3.38% through November 2025, equivalent to 344.9 million boxes shipped, according to the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador.
The group notes that, while the year-to-date performance remains positive and close to 3%, November showed a slight slowdown compared with October, adding that expansion depends on a handful of key markets and only a partial improvement in weather conditions.
Over the year, export performance has shown two clearly differentiated phases. In the first half, the sector was most active between April and June, when cumulative growth exceeded 5%, driven by a strong monthly rebound. From July through September, the pace slowed, reflecting reduced seasonal demand and less favorable conditions.
Growth in Ecuadorian banana exports is highly concentrated, the association highlighted. Russia and the European Union account for more than half of the year’s total expansion. Russia has consolidated its position as the main growth driver, with annual growth close to 17% and a contribution of more than 3 percentage points, while the European Union contributes around 2.2 percentage points with annual growth of 7.6%.
The Middle East and the U.S. also support the positive result, though with more moderate contributions. In contrast, exports to regions such as Africa, Central Asia, the United Kingdom, Oceania and the Southern Cone continue to contract. The association says this shows Ecuador’s positive performance in banana exports is driven by the selective recovery of a few markets rather than a generalized improvement in global demand.
On the production side, improved weather conditions in November helped stabilize export supply. On average, temperatures increased slightly year-on-year, while bagging activity rose by about 0.8%. Both conditions are consistent with a more favorable environment for productivity and harvest scheduling. Although week-to-week variability persists, these averages suggest some relief compared with the cooler conditions seen in previous months, supporting the export rebound in November.
This performance is also in line with developments in the European market, where by late November a slight improvement in demand and a gradual reduction in inventories were observed. After several weeks of downward pressure on prices, consumption stabilization helped slow stock accumulation and halt price erosion, creating a slightly more favorable environment for Latin American exports, the association says.
