Ecuador to increase tariff on Colombian goods to 50% from March

QUITO, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Ecuador will increase tariffs on Colombian imports to 50% from the current 30% from March 1, the government said in a statement on Thursday.

A 30% tariff on Colombian imports had been in effect since early February, which Ecuador imposed citing a trade deficit with the neighboring country and a lack of cooperation in combating drug trafficking along their shared border.

Colombia retaliated by placing a 30% tariff on Ecuadorean goods and banning the overland entry of other food products. Both countries took their claims to the Andean Community of Nations (CAN).

Ecuador's production ministry described the tariff increase as a security fee, "after noting Colombia's failure to implement concrete and effective measures in the area of border security."

"This decision is based on national security criteria to strengthen co-responsibility in a task that must be joint: confronting the presence of drug trafficking on the border," the statement added.

Colombia has rejected allegations that it is failing to cooperate on security.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Sarah Morland)