In 2024, Ecuador was estimated to be the world's sixth-ranked producer of pumice, accounting for 4.0% of world production. Other mineral commodities produced in Ecuador included barite, cement, clays, copper, gold, silver, raw steel, stone (unspecified), and sand and gravel. Production of mineral commodity production (not including mineral fuels) contributed an estimated 2.1% to Ecuador’s gross domestic product. The value of Ecuador’s mineral exports in 2024 (including the value of exports of copper, gold, lead, and silver concentrates, and other unspecified minerals) totaled \$3.1 billion or 8.9% of the country’s total exports. China was the top destination for Ecuador's copper concentrate exports in 2024, while Switzerland was a leading buyer of its gold exports, followed by the United States.
The legislative framework for the mineral sector is provided by law No. 45/2009. The Ministry of Energy and Mines (Ministerio de Energía y Minas) is the principal Government body responsible for the administration, regulation, and control of the mining sector. Most of the mining and mineral processing operations were privately owned, with artisanal mining constituting a substantial segment.
Ecuador’s pumice industry is characterized by its decentralized structure, making it difficult to name individual excavators. Instead of large corporations, the sector is dominated by numerous small- to mid-sized quarries and family-run enterprises. Much of the extraction is in the volcanic provinces of Cotopaxi, Imbabura, and Tungurahua.
