The following is a list of Ecuadorean metal imports over the last 5 years.

source:
http://www.intracen.org/tradstat/sit...

Product group - value in $USX1000 - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

671 - Pig-iron, spiegeleisen, sponge iron, iron or steel granules and powders and ferro-alloys 822 799 907 1,153 1,485
672 - Ingots and other primary forms, of iron or steel; semi-finished products of iron or steel 45,613 46,196 48,208 103,413 120,937
673 - Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, not clad, plated or coated 57,613 83,924 75,263 128,311 121,938
674 - Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, clad, plated or coated 38,918 42,281 50,308 68,021 73,408
675 - Flat-rolled products of alloy steel 6,878 7,243 8,702 14,459 17,754
676 - Iron and steel bars, rods, angles, shapes and sections (including sheet piling) 44,073 54,305 56,658 74,154 100,180
677 - Rails or railway track construction material, of iron or steel 211 342 80 74 212
678 - Wire of iron or steel 2,500 3,081 3,556 4,020 4,834
679 - Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, and tube or pipe fittings, of iron or steel 76,702 213,454 68,670 84,134 123,149
681 - Silver, platinum and other metals of the platinum group 110 77 66 140 146
682 - Copper 11,416 13,160 12,196 21,400 34,091
683 - Nickel 100 95 289 317 520
684 - Aluminium 25,443 31,441 29,491 38,436 44,056
685 - Lead 1,483 1,304 1,275 1,986 2,942
686 - Zinc 4,565 5,010 3,756 6,120 6,700
687 - Tin 270 166 251 290 564

I think it's time somebody explained the big picture.

Ecuador, and every other developing nation on the planet, is consuming ever increasing amounts of metal. Fact.

Resource nationalism is limiting growth in global supply. Fact.

Environmentalism is limiting growth in global supply. Fact.

China and India are major competitors for an increasing share of global metal exports. Fact.

We are approaching the peak in Global Oil Production. A contested premise, but the weight of evidence supports it.

Oil is a major component in metal production. Fact.

Given these facts, how does Ecuador propose to pay for it's growing imports of increasingly expensive metals, in view of:

- declining national oil production.

- a declining national currency.

- a virtual lack of domestic metal and value added production.

What valuable trade good does Ecuador have to offer the producing nations of the world? Fruit? Hats? Flowers? Shrimp? Amazon Boat Tours?

You see the problem?

Here is a prediction. Not yet a fact, but it could be one soon.

The productive nations of the world are under increasing pressure from rising oil prices, much of which is produced by OPEC, of which Ecuador is a member. Not everyone that produces oil produces food or metal. As food and metal become increasingly scarce, the producer nations will also form cartels, just like OPEC. You're already seeing it with rice.

So, once again. How is Ecuador going to pay for all this?

Here's another prediction: If Ecuador doesn't wake up to the reality of its situation and start to avail itself of comparative advantages in oil and metals production, it's primary future export will be people.