New Delhi, Feb. 28 -- Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa called neighboring Colombia his country's worst trade partner Friday as he defended raising tariffs on Colombian imports by 50% in an escalating trade war between the South American countries.

Noboa's comments to a radio station follow a rift between the countries over trade and security along their shared border.

"Our worst trading partner in the world, in percentage terms, is Colombia," Noboa said, noting that Ecuador's trade deficit with its neighbor has reached $1.1 billion.

The tensions started in January, when the Ecuadorian president - a conservative who has sought to deepen ties with the Trump administration - announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports, citing concerns tha...