Automotive Sector Billing Rises 28.4% to $2.946B in Q1 2026

Ecuador's automotive sector posted its strongest first-quarter billing in more than a decade, according to El Universo reporting on Aeade data.

The sector reached $2.946 billion in first-quarter 2026 billing, up 28.4% from $2.296 billion in the same period of 2025.

Q1 Billing Mix

Segment	Q1 2026 Billing
Commerce and repair of vehicles and motorcycles (G45)	$2.762B
Vehicle manufacturing, trailers and semi-trailers (C29)	$187M
Total sector billing	$2.946B

El Universo reports that both G45 and C29 were above levels generated since 2015.

Total automotive billing through March equaled 4.64% of all private-sector billing reported to the Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI) from January through March 2026, based on local sales and exports of $63.532 billion.

Manufacturing And Commerce Detail

Indicator	Reported Change
March sector billing YoY	+31.7%
March sector billing vs. February 2026	+16.5%
Vehicle manufacturing billing	$130.3M, +39.4%
Parts, pieces and accessories manufacturing	$24.9M, +56%
Bodywork manufacturing	-1.4%
Vehicle sales billing	$1.5197B, +38.2%
Vehicle sales billing increase vs. Q1 2025	$420.3M

Pichincha represented 54.6% of vehicle and trailer manufacturing billing, rising from $64.4 million in early 2025 to $102.1 million in 2026.

El Universo reports that Pichincha, Guayas, Azuay and Tungurahua together accounted for 88.4% of commerce and repair billing for vehicles and motorcycles.

Their reported growth rates were 36.3%, 18.1%, 20.9% and 38.7%, respectively.

What To Watch

• Whether the Q1 billing acceleration continues into Q2 sales and repair data.
• SRI-reported private-sector billing share for automotive activity after March.
• Manufacturing growth in Pichincha, given its reported 54.6% concentration.
• Whether vehicle sales billing remains above the 38.2% Q1 growth rate as tariff and used-vehicle competition dynamics evolve.

Source: El Universo