Duque Administration Seeks To Boost Bilateral Trade With Belgium Via Official Visit

Monday, Colombian President Ivan Duque led a delegation to Belgium seeking to boost the country’s investment in Colombian infrastructure, renewable energy and food.  Along with ProColombia and the Colombian embassy in Belgium, the president held meetings with investors that resulted in $7.5 million USD in additional agriculture, metalworking and fashion deals, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.

The ministry reports that various Belgian firms are active in Colombia, including Jan de Nul, Puratos, AB InBev, Bakaert, Acalis, Etex, Delta Light, Café Velvet, Procecal, Incofin,and others.

“These announcements of foreign investment are very positive news to strengthen employment and competitiveness of the country. Belgium is a great ally of ours in Europe in international trade, tourism and investment, so we want to further strengthen our relations, at a time when we are advancing in the secure economic reactivation. By consolidating our economic relations with these European nations, we have achieved that more and more foreign entrepreneurs and investors see Colombia as the best investment and business destination,” said Minister of Commerce Maria Ximena Lombana Villalba.

Over the past decade, the ministry reports Belgian investment in Colombia totaling $349.5 million USD. The president of Colombia’s investment promotion agency called ProColombia, Flavia Santoro added: “We continue to promote Colombia’s investment potential as a business destination in the region for Belgian companies in key sectors for economic reactivation. We seek to attract impact investments and the high technological component that generate employment and exports with the use of incentives such as mega-investments and those of our renewed regime of free zones.”