Ecuador makes new energy efficiency standard for electric motors mandatory

The Ministry of Economic and Productive Development officially mandated the First Revision of the Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE INEN 145 (1R) “Energy efficiency in electric motors”, through Resolution No. MDEP-SC-2026-0017-R, signed on October 14, 2026, by the Undersecretariat of Quality and published in the Official Registry, Supplement No. 397, on Monday, October 26, 2026. The standard will come into effect six months after that publication and fully replaces the regulation in force since 2017.

The decision is based on Article 17, literal f), of the Law of the Ecuadorian Quality System, which grants the governing ministry the authority to approve technical regulation proposals formulated by the Ecuadorian Standardization Service (INEN), and on Ministerial Agreement No. 11 446 of 2011, which delegated that faculty to the Undersecretariat of Quality. INEN submitted the request for officialization via Official Letter No. INEN-INEN-2026-0381-OF, dated July 2, 2026, following an international notification process carried out between July 1 and August 30, 2025, before the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Andean Community (CAN).

The text is published within a context of Executive reorganization: Executive Decree No. 425, dated June 18, 2026, merged by absorption the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade and Investments and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries into the Ministry of Economic and Productive Development, the entity that now assumes the leadership and oversight of the system.

Which motors are subject to the standard

The regulation covers AC induction electric motors, whether national or imported, marketed in the country:

• Single-phase squirrel-cage type, air-cooled, from 0.18 kW to 1.5 kW, with 2, 4, or 6 poles, split-phase or start-capacitor, open or closed.
• Three-phase squirrel-cage type, from 0.746 kW to 373 kW, with 2, 4, 6, or 8 poles, for general use, open or closed.
• Excluded are motors fully integrated into a machine that cannot be tested separately (pumps, fans, compressors, household appliances) and submersible motors designed to operate immersed in a liquid.

The associated tariff classification covers subheadings 8501.40, 8501.51, 8501.52, and 8501.53, with the warning that State institutions will verify compliance according to the Customs Tariff of Ecuador in force at the time of control.

IE2 Class, labeling, and certification

The central requirement is product-based: only induction motors of efficiency class IE2 or higher may be marketed in Ecuador, in accordance with standards IEC 60034-30-1, IEC 60034-2-1, and IEC 60034-1. The accepted test methods are those of these same standards or their international, regional, or national equivalents.

Regarding labeling, each motor must bear durable metal nameplates with information in Spanish, in addition to the country of origin, the brand or manufacturer’s name, and the RUC (Taxpayer Registry Number) of the manufacturer or importer. The instruction manual must be delivered in print, with the possibility of digital access via QR code.

The demonstration of conformity prior to marketing requires a product certificate issued by a body accredited or recognized by the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (SAE) or designated by the MDEP, under the schemes of the ISO/IEC 17067 standard (types 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, and 5), or a supplier’s declaration of conformity supported by test reports up to 36 months old. Products with the INEN Quality Seal are exempt from the certificate.

Deadlines, repeal, and sanctions

The transition schedule is staggered:

• Full effectiveness: six months counted from the day following publication in the Official Registry, i.e., towards the end of April 2027.
• Old certificates: certificates of conformity issued under RTE INEN 145:2017 will be accepted up to nine months after entry into force, provided they remain valid.
• Repeal: the regulation officialized by Resolution No. 17 524, of October 16, 2017, published in Official Registry No. 126 of November 23, 2017, is rendered totally null and void.
• Future review: the regulation itself must be reviewed within a period not exceeding five years from its entry into force.

Surveillance and control correspond to the Ministry of Economic and Productive Development and the competent regulatory entities, limited to compliance with the requirements of the regulation and its conformity assessment procedure. Manufacturers, importers, or marketers who fail to comply will incur the infractions of the Law of the Ecuadorian Quality System, with sanctions graded according to the risk to consumers and the severity of the fault.

The impact falls directly on manufacturers, importers, distributors, and industrial buyers: those maintaining inventory or technical specifications with motors below IE2 will have until the entry into force to convert purchases and technical data sheets, and must renew certificates before the nine-month window provided in the transitional provision expires.

Source: Official Registry, Supplement No. 397, Monday, October 26, 2026, Section I, p. 13 (official reference: Resolution No. MDEP-SC-2026-0017-R).