Peru accounted for 48.3% of Andean Community exports to the world in 2025. On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, it took over the bloc’s rotating presidency as member governments set a regional agenda centered on security, borders and trade. The bloc’s members exported US$187.46 billion worldwide that year, an 11.5% increase, according to the CAN General Secretariat.
Who Sets the Agenda
At a ministers’ meeting in Quito, Ecuador handed the presidency to Peru’s foreign minister, Carlos Espá. The Andean Community, also known as CAN, comprises Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador. Each year, the pro tempore presidency rotates among members and sets the bloc’s working agenda.
Ecuador’s foreign minister Roberto Kury reported 13 operational measures and 96 concrete actions against organized crime during Ecuador’s presidency, which ran from September 2025 to September 2026. Those efforts targeted arms trafficking, illegal mining, people smuggling and money laundering.
Espá set out three priorities for Peru: security against transnational threats, disaster risk and environmental work, and Andean citizenship with border integration. State news agency Andina reported that digital transformation, innovation and culture were also priorities. Peru also wanted to convene the Andean Presidential Council, the bloc’s summit of heads of state.
Trade and tourism minister Rogers Valencia called the regional moment “the moment to take decisions.” Delegations from Bolivia and Colombia joined the handover session, along with Secretary General Gonzalo Gutiérrez. Ecuador held the presidency before transferring it to Peru.
Trade Rules and Regional Links
The bloc’s trade commission approved rules covering tourists who bring private vehicles across borders. The rules also cover cars towing small boats or motorbikes. The commission adopted a community statistics program for 2026–2030, too.
Ministers directed officials to work toward a single Andean sky and a regional coastal shipping regime. Gutiérrez said the single-sky proposal aimed to enable direct flights, including a route from Guayaquil to Cusco without changing planes in Lima. That would require common rules for passenger data and security standards, he said, so it remains a long-term project, not an immediate change for travelers.
In 2025, exports among member countries reached US$9.84 billion, up 8.0% from 2024, the CAN General Secretariat reported. Those sales accounted for about 5% of the bloc’s total exports. Peru’s US$90.47 billion in worldwide exports made up nearly half of the bloc’s reported total.
Ecuador and Colombia raised tariffs on each other during the year, and the dispute ended in June 2026. The trade figures report export values and growth, but don't break down wages, profits or employment tied to those sales.
Plans Still Pending
Andina reported that Peru had also prepared for President Keiko Fujimori and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa to formalize the handover. Officials hadn't published a date for that step or for a presidential summit. Peru’s full 2026–2027 work plan wasn't out, and officials hadn't provided target dates for the proposed single sky or shipping regime.