What can be shipped?

you'll find yourself selling almost everything you own. To costly to ship those types of goods.
Right now few if any incentives offered by Ecuador for ex pats on this topic. Unlike Nicaragua and Panama where they incentive expats household materials.
Software and games are flash drive storage items so why the bid deal. I move in and out with my lap top, smart phone, tablets and a cache of CD's & flash drives without any comments or issues.

Visit their website for details or call your local Ecuadorian embassy in the states for details.

200 kilos of clothes is the max amount allowed but I don't recomend to bring this big amount and better if they already used.

There's no problem with CDs, software, computers games, music instruments....You can ship anything that belongs to your family. Restictions are for gunsa, ammo, raw materilas and motor vehicles.
You can ship it by boat or plane like a regular export moving or pay extra for suitcases or bring it like non acompanied luggage.

Vinny

Thanks for the replies!

My husband and I have hardly anything we want to take with us.  Just some personal items and Dutch books.

The kids, that's another story :-)  They don't want to part with their Legos, dolls, books and DVD collections etc.  As long as we can bring their favorite things, we're happy.

I am quite sure we won't be bringing 1600kg of used clothing :-)  I don't even think we own that much! 
Although we may be able to help out a day care center in Quito by bringing some extra used clothing duty free... 

I also read food items are forbidden.  Is there any way to import food?  For example: a box of our favorite peanut butter, things like that?

If you can bring it in your suitcases is better. In a moving could be OK, but depend on the kind of food and the amount.
Alcohol has restrictions but I think peanut better is fine.

Vinny

Ivy76 wrote:

I also read food items are forbidden.  Is there any way to import food?  For example: a box of our favorite peanut butter, things like that?

I am not aware of any issue with sealed, process food being a problem. The family I live with visits the U.S. often and brings back at least one suitcase full of seasonings, salad dressings, favorite snacks, etc. But these take up valuable space and some things are just as good here, for example. Schullo peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) is one of the best brands I have ever had, and I am a true peanut butter aficionado. I believe the food issue is with live food/plants that could carry disease or organisms.

DVDs, music, software, etc can be put onto a 2.5 inch USB drive unless it is a game that requires the originial disk. I also scanned a ton of important documents, favorite recipes from books, pictures, and too many more things to mention, and placed them on a USB drive. That saved a lot of space. Finally, I was able to find some e-book version of some of my more treasured books which really helped because books can be very heavy.

The kids, that's another story :-)  They don't want to part with their Legos, dolls, books and DVD collections etc.  As long as we can bring their favorite things, we're happy.

I am not aware of any restriction on any of the above.  It is my understanding that Customs is looking for are multiples that will be sold here.  One look at the children and they will have no questions.

Although you didn't ask this, Customs allows three liters of alcohol (or three bottles) per family.  Don't always enforce it, but can and have done so, as recently as two weeks ago in guayaquil with a friend of mine.

We found that they didn't really check our things very closely as we came in at 1:00 AM after flight delays at"old" Quito airport.  They didn't even look at our dog at all.  They were going to hand inspect all our bags but my wife convinced them since we were moving here we needed a lot of things.  We actually had a whole suitcase full of electronics.  We brought several large bags of toys including legos in big plastic bags.  It really seems to depend on who checks you and how busy they are. Last trip they were closing soon and that helped .  Both trips we came in and were very pleased that nothing was questioned except our mattress pad (foam).  We were way over the limit and thankfully no problems.  Amazed that they never even looked at our dog or her papers from USDA etc. Hope this helps.. no guarantees of course , but we brought in 23 bags and backpacks combined in Feb.  So far nothing was taken or duties etc. except the airlines nailed us for $1500.00 for the bags!    Charlie

Thank you for all your replies!  Very helpful.  My family is happy to know we can bring some of their favorite peanut butter and mayonnaise with them :-)  I am sure once we're in Ecuador they'll find new favorites quickly, but being able to bring some things with them, may make things a little easier on them.

Isn't there a 20kg restriction on bringing luggage on a plane?

I understand electrical appliances are very expensive in Ecuador.  I guess I will have to figure out whether it would be cheaper to buy things there and leave as much as possible here, or to ship some things (which would make it easier to bring more toys and such).

Hello Ivy, There is fresh peanut butter available in the Fresh Markets down here.  They grind it fresh for you on the spot entirely 100% from fresh peanuts , nothing else!  It is wonderful without all the additives we have been accustomed to.  When shopping at SuperMaxi in Manta this week I noticed they sell Kraft Mayonnaise.  It is much more expensive than the local brands , but you can get it here. 
Ivy, we went for the toys and many school books from the Abeka series. Toys down here are very expensive and almost so high we don't buy any here.  Small appliances are not that bad at the bigger stores like Megamaxi, and Ferisariato or other large hardware stores sell brand names made here, but they are decent.  Like microwaves and blenders, toasters etc.  We bought a dryer at Megamaxi, and a TV there. Expensive but they work fine. 
Each airline has their own restrictions on what you can bring , but generally they just charge you for going over certain limits.  We brought 17 bags , then 23 bags with us.  The trick really was keeping track of them all while transporting them to the Coast. 
Living it and loving it here in Ecuador!
Charlie

Can motor vehicles be shipped from the US? Do you have any idea how expensive this might be?

Importing a vehicle is complicated and expensive. Please search the forums for your answer; you'll find all the details have already been given.

HAVE READ THAT CAR MUST BE LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD. Does anyone know if that's the case? I read the article about shipping and it sounds like a nightmare. What is the safest least expensive way to ship items that might be fragile but are not nearly as voluminous or heavy as what might be shipped in a container.

Suefrankdahl,

I hope dreams-of-latin-american will not be offended, but I wouldn't search this forum to resolve the issue about importing a car. The reason is that you will probably become hopeless confused. This is a topic I researched on the web not too long ago, and the conflict in information was maddening.

When I came to Ecuador two years ago, the car could not be more than a year old. But two years can see many, many changes in Ecuadorian law. The issues is that the cost of vehicles here is quite high, and an area that invites significant abuse of privilege because of the, huge potential for profit. In fact, a Toyota car mechanic in the U.S. was visiting a few weeks ago, and he was looking at prices here. He suggested that if he could import Toyota's large SUV, he could make a$60,000 profit. At the time, I didn't question his remark. but it now sees relevant after reading this post.

So, what is the answer? This is a situation where you need to find out, from the Ecuadorian government, the exact requirements at this present time. Where would you do that? In the U.S., the best bet is an Ecuadorian Consulate. If there is one near you, it would be best to visit in person. A call might be harder, but may get you the information you need.

Before I left, I worked closely with the consulate in D.C., and they were both courteous and very helpful. Since long-distance calling in the U.S, is so inexpensive, you can call any consulate you wish. I would start there and have them answer this or at least direct you to the most current information. The problem with forums specifically and the internet generally is that the information is only current at the time it was generated and often you cannot tell when that was.

Thanks Joseph- It would probably be best to get something in writing from them as the article I read on shipping sounded really confusing and maybe not accurate. Also that once things got to Ecuador there is potential for a lot of crooked dealings or maybe you would have to grease the right palms to get your stuff without a hassle. I am single and  I am just thinking to pack a duffel bag and go is the best way

suefrankdahl wrote:

I am single and  I am just thinking to pack a duffel bag and go is the best way

I was in the same situation as you when I left. Got rid of everything I owned that wouldn't fit into two suitcases and came here. The only regret was not not bringing several fleece shells with full front zipper. I bought back a few after a visit to the U.S. and I wear them almost every night and on cold days. The front zipper just makes it easy to take on and off to adjust to changes in temperature. I would also recommend bringing two pairs of really decent walking shoes.

Also, if you take supplements, you will probably need to bring enough to last until your next trip to the U.S. or until you can figure out how to get them shipped here. But, shipping is very expensive. I have cut my supplement intake to the most critical ones. For me, that is B12 (sublingual), folic acid, iron, D3, and a really good multi-vitamin. You can easily get calcium here, but I have yet to find magnesium. 

Finally, you may not need a car here. I have really enjoyed the joy of life without a car. Transportation is inexpensive and reliable in the cities. Although, I am sad to report that yesterday there were two bus accidents caused by faulty brakes. Unfortunately one near Catamayo resulted in 7 deaths. This is very unusual, but these things do happen.

Regarding "greasing of the palms." I would encourage you not to think that way. If there is a problem, simply ask what is needed to resolve the issue. You will clearly be given instructions on what is required. If you are respectful, they will work hard to find a suitable solution for you. The problem in Ecuador is even if you do get the latest information, you will still probably find some surprises. It seems you can never get the whole picture on anything. This year, I had some supplements shipped here through DHL. I was told it would be 28 dollars shipping and payed that up front. When it arrived in Guayaquil and was given a "heads-up" and was told there would be an additional charge of about 30 dollars. When it finally arrived at my door, I was told there was another additional 7 dollar charge. Knowing how things work here, I did laugh. But, it reminded me how much I need to carefully plan what I bring back after my yearly visits to the U.S. Running out of things you can't get here can be expensive.