Ecuador Reforms COPCI to Decongest Ports of Abandoned Containers

The National Assembly approved, with 87 votes, the reforms to the Organic Code of Production, Commerce, and Investments (COPCI), promoted by the National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE), foreign trade operators, and the Economic and Tax Regime Commission. The regulation aims to optimize the logistics chain, strengthen customs control, and decongest the country's port yards.

Among the main changes, new deadlines are established for declaring the definitive abandonment of unclaimed goods, and the processes of inventory, appraisal, expert assessment, auction, and award are streamlined. The reform addresses a problem of more than 12,000 abandoned containers annually, allowing SENAE to recover operational capacity in ports and temporary warehouses.

The implementation of these reforms will favor greater cargo rotation and more efficient use of the country's logistical infrastructure. The recovery of spaces and containers will allow for the streamlining of import and export operations, improving the availability of capacity for foreign trade and strengthening the efficiency of the Ecuadorian port and customs system.