This value also represented more than half, 52.7%, of everything that Colombia sold to the world in those six months.

“The behavior of what the country exported in the first six months of the year in products other than oil and coal, ratifies not only the behavior that non-mining exports have been registering for months, but also that step by step we are advancing in the transformation of the productive fabric and the diversification of the export basket. From the commerce, industry, and tourism sector, we continue to provide entrepreneurs in the regions with all the instruments and institutional offer to guarantee the sophistication and expansion of the offer,” said the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Diana Marcela Morales Rojas.

In volume, shipments also continue to increase. Between January and June, there were 5.1 million tons, for a growth of 9.6% compared to the first half of 2024. Within the non-mining basket, the exports that had the greatest weight in the period of analysis were those of the agricultural sector, which accounted for 43.7% ($5.615.9 million USD) and grew 36%.

Products such as coffee stand out, whose exports in the 6 months grew 81.3%; flowers, 9.9%; bananas, 6.2%; Hass avocado, 27.6%; Tahiti lemon, 15.7%, and gulupa, 23.3%, among others. The second most representative group of products of exports of non-mining goods in the period was industry, which participated with 40.8% ($5.252 million USD) of this basket and a growth of 5%.

Exports of aluminum doors, windows, and their frames stood out, among others, with an increase of 9.5%; insecticides, 18.8%; electrical transformers, 12.9%; medicines, 9.3%; and beauty preparations, 3.7%. Products from the agribusiness sector, which accounted for 15.5% ($1.989.7 million USD) of the non-mining energy export basket, registered an increase in sales of 37%.

Products such as palm oil, whose exports grew 64.1%; coffee extracts and essences with an increase of 45.7%; sugar, 14.3%; cocoa and its derivatives, 87.3%, and bakery products, 8.7%, among others, boosted the sector’s performance.

90.4% of exports of non-mining energy products were made from nine Colombian regions: Antioquia, from where they grew 25.9%; Bogotá, which increased 16.5%; Cundinamarca, 16.5%; Valle del Cauca, 14.8%; Atlántico, 6.6%; Bolívar, 9%; Caldas, 47.3%; Magdalena, 45% and Huila.

The latter was the one that reported the highest increase, with 50%. Its non-mining foreign sales totaled $624.2 million USD in the first six months of the year, marked by coffee.

In June alone, the country exported $2.112.6 million USD in non-mining products, which represented an increase of 20.4%. In volume, 774,248 tons were shipped for an increase of 9.6%.

Avocados. Photo credit: JohnyVid from Pixabay.

This is clear from the analysis made by this ministry based on figures published by DANE, which establishes that non-mining energy exports grew 22% compared to the same period in 2024. And if the volume shipped is reviewed, it was 4.32 million tons for an increase of 9.6% compared to January-May 2024.

Within the basket of non-mining energy goods, those with the greatest weight are industrial goods, which accounted for 55.9% ($6.011.2 million USD) and grew 12.2% in 2024. Those in the agricultural sector participated with 43.9% of that basket and increased by 37.2%.

In the period of analysis, when evaluating the main export products of the non-mining pie, several contributed to boost this growth. The following stand out: coffee, whose foreign sales increased 89%; palm oil with 63.7%; coffee extracts with 36.8%;hass avocado with 24.7%, and polypropylene with 21.9%.

Likewise, beauty preparations had an important behavior and contributed to growth, 6.3%; flowers, 5.7%; bananas, 5.4%; electrical transformers, 4.7% and doors, windows, and their frames, 4.3%, among others.

By regions

About the 9 departments that export the most non-mining energy goods and that represent 90.5% of this basket, all registered increases in their sales.

In the case of Antioquia, which is the department that has the most weight in this type of foreign sales, it registered a growth of 24.8%; it is followed by Bogotá with 15.4%; those of Cundinamarca grew 15.9%; those of Valle del Cauca 16.2%; those of Atlántico 5%; those of Bolívar 10.7%; those of Caldas 44.2%; those of Huila 72.3% and those of Magdalena 44.1%.

Coffee from Colombia. Photo credit: Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism (MinCIT)

The value exported in the first four months of this year registered an increase of 23.5% compared to January-April of last year, when $6.851.5 million USD were exported. In volume, 3.3 million tons were shipped, which represented 9.8% more than a year ago.

The different entities attached to and linked to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism provide and make available to entrepreneurs instruments and programs to support them in the sophistication and diversification of the non-mining export basket, with goods of greater added value. Likewise, work is being done to expand the markets for these products.

According to the ministry’s analysis, within the non-mining basket between January and April, the sector that had the highest growth was agriculture, with 41.32% compared to a year ago. The amount exported reached $3.786.9 million USD.
Among the products that helped drive growth in the period are coffee, with an increase of 96.9%; gulupa, 39.3%; Hass avocado, 16.7%; flowers, 9.5%; Tahiti lemon, 8.6%; and bananas, 6.2%.

For its part, exports of industrial products totaled $3.399.3 million USD and grew 5.3% compared to the previous year. Exports included goods such as: perfumes and toilet waters, which grew 18.4%; insecticides, 16.1%; electrical transformers, 13.4%; beauty preparations, 7.8%; plastics and their manufactures, 7.1%, and doors, windows, and their frames, 3.2%.

In agribusiness, foreign sales reached $1.277.2 million USD for an increase of 35.6%. Among the products of this sector that contributed to the result of the non-mining basket with their exports are, among others: cocoa and its preparations with an increase of 114.5%; palm oil, 67.6%; beverages, including water and alcoholic beverages, 47.9%; coffee extracts and essences, 39.1%; bakery and pastry products, 14.5%, and sugar, 7.4%.

By region

The main 10 departments from which non-mining goods are shipped to the world, which, due to their participation in this basket, represented 93.2%, and within these, the one that registered the highest growth in these foreign sales in the period of analysis was Huila with a variation of 83.8%. This region accounts for 5.4% of these exports.

It was followed by Caldas, whose non-mining foreign sales increased 53.9%. This department has a share in this group of 5.4%.

The third-highest growth of this top 10 is in Magdalena with a variation of 48.6%, which represents 4.7% of the country’s non-mining energy basket.

It was followed by Antioquia with an increase of 26.4%. This, together with Bogotá (whose exports grew 17.8%), is the main origin of non-mining foreign sales. In the period of analysis, these regions accounted for 19.3% each.

Photo credit: MINCIT.

Demand for Colombian non-mining products has fluctuated across international markets, but exports to key partners like the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela have shown notable increases. Exports to the United States rose by 8.6%, while Mexico and Venezuela saw increases of 22.5% and 47.4%, respectively. Other markets also saw growth, with exports to Belgium increasing by 33.7% and the Netherlands by 3.9%.

Industrial and Agricultural Sectors Drive Export Growth

Industrial products, which account for about 62% of Colombia’s non-mining exports, grew by 4.1% year-over-year. Key industrial exports included electrical machinery and equipment, which rose by 30.3%, and cosmetics and beauty preparations, up by 26.4%. Exports of plastics and related products grew by 10.6%, while sales of insecticides and fungicides increased by 4.1%.

Agricultural products, comprising 37.8% of Colombia’s non-mining export basket, grew by 16% through September. Significant increases were observed in exports of Tahiti lime (69%), bananas (48.6%), Hass avocado (42.4%), and passion fruit (20.2%). Coffee exports rose by 11.6%, while cut flower exports increased by 12%. Tilapia fillets saw a modest increase of 7.6%.

Regional Contributions to Export Growth

Several Colombian regions played a prominent role in the export growth of non-mining goods. Risaralda saw the largest percentage increase, with exports reaching $639.9 million, up 58.9% year-over-year. Huila exported $677.1 million worth of non-mining goods, representing a 35.3% increase, while Santander reported $253.6 million in exports, marking a 12% rise.

Bolívar contributed $1.38 billion in exports, showing a 10.1% growth, and Antioquia led with $3.02 billion in non-mining exports, a 9.1% increase. Other regions also contributed, reflecting a broad geographic distribution of Colombia’s non-mining export growth.

Government’s Strategy and Export Support

According to Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism Luis Carlos Reyes Hernández, the government is focused on sustaining export growth by supporting regional businesses. The Ministry is working with local entrepreneurs to help them access new markets, providing various resources and support tools to boost Colombia’s international presence in non-traditional sectors.

The rise in Colombia’s non-mining exports reflects ongoing efforts to diversify the country’s export base, moving away from traditional reliance on mining and energy products. This trend underscores Colombia’s strategic push to leverage its agricultural and industrial sectors to enhance trade resilience and support economic growth.

According to Corpohass, 2023 was a historic year for the sector, reaching the export record of 5,125 containers representing a growth of 26.4%, compared to 2022, in which 4,055 containers were sent to the foreign market.

Above graphic: US Avocado consumption is rapidly growing and far outpaces domestic production.

“With last year’s record exports, Colombia, the Country of Beauty, is poised to take advantage of the competitive advantage of this star product, which is also a major driver of the country’s agro-industrial exports and generates quality employment,” said Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, Colombia’s national export promotion agency.

In an ambitious strategy to leverage the Super Bowl, ProColombia will promote several Colombian destinations with the Petro administration’s narrative of “the Country of Beauty,” through an ad in the official Super Bowl program, showing the iconic Piedra del Peñol in Guatapé, Antioquia.

The cultivation of Hass avocados in Colombia is concentrated in seven departments, positioning itself as the fourth largest agricultural export from the country. This year, according to Corpohass, exports of this fruit are expected to grow by 56% compared to the previous year.

“This is a great opportunity to present Colombia, the Country of Beauty, as a fertile ground for foreign investment, as a competitive tourist destination and an emerging player in the global economic landscape. We are a promising and dynamic location to do business, poised to play a pivotal role in innovation and global economic growth,” added Caballero.

Katheryn Mejía Vergel, executive director of Corpohass, highlighted that “the Hass avocado in Colombia is distinguished in more than 30 countries for its flavor and its commitment to sustainability in all its dimensions.”

According to data from Corpohass, Colombian agribusiness closed 2023 with record exports, achieving a 26.3% increase in containers shipped to different markets around the world. To continue with this growth in 2024, the sector will work hand in hand to position Hass avocados from Colombia as a benchmark for sustainability.

SuperBowl program ad by ProColombia

Colombia already exports Mangos to Canada, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, UAE, and Qatar. In 2021, the US Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) green-lighted Colombian Mangos on phytosanitary safety grounds. With this approval, Mangos make up one of the 108 fresh agricultural products admitted into the US, joining among other products, paprika, Hass avocado, uchuvas, blueberries, tangerine, orange, pineapple, aromatic herbs and Tahiti lemon.

This particular shipment was grown on the Varahonda farm in Palmira, formally known as Agricola Varahonda SA, and packed at Frutales Las Lajas in Zarzal, Valle del Cauca. The Varahonda farm in Valle del Cauca, near Cali, Colombia generates formal employment for mothers who are heads of household, and contributes to the economic and social development of the rural communities surrounding their crops in the southwest of the country.

“The first export of fresh mango to the United States represents a great opportunity to consolidate the exportable supply of fresh fruits, generating formal employment and opportunities in rural areas of the country. We will continue working to enhance national food production to achieve food sovereignty, and thus achieve balances in trade,” said the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, German Umaña Mendoza.

Colombia’s climate allows the country to produce Mangos year-round. According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cecilia López Montaño, “there are approximately 35,000 hectares (86,487 acres) of mango in Colombia distributed in 22 (of 32) departments, led by Cundinamarca outside of Bogotá, followed by Antioquia and Norte de Santander.”

“We have great expectations with the business of exporting mango to the United States, which begins this year. We believe that our fruit will be very well received in the North American market, and we see a lot of interest. We have a production projection for next year of approximately one thousand tons,” said Juan Felipe Peña, manager of Agricola Varahonda SA.

Headline photo: Mangos from Santa Fé de Antioquia, Colombia (photo © Loren Moss)

This means that $722.9 million USD were exported to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In volume, 289,791.7 tons were sold to these countries, an increase of 3.1%.

Compared to the same month in 2021, this meant an increase of 11%, and in relation to September 2019, the growth was 27.8%.

Of the total goods sold by the country to this region in September, with which the government of President Gustavo Petro seeks to strengthen economic and trade integration, almost half (44.5%) were non-mining energy goods.

Plastics, vehicles for passenger transportation, palm oil, medicines, candies and sweets, soaps, soluble coffee, beauty preparations, paper and cardboard, among others, are the main products exported to this part of the world.

“We advocate for a joint agenda in economic and commercial matters, but above all in productive complementation, border integration and so many other things in the region. It is necessary to return to having common objectives within a framework of internationalization with a human face and to continue strengthening the CAN and mechanisms such as the Pacific Alliance,” said the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Germán Umaña Mendoza.

In the first nine months of this year, the 16 countries mentioned above received $6,225.6 million USD in non-mining and energy goods from Colombia, which translates into an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period in 2021 ($5,202.9 million USD) and 29% compared to January-September 2019 ($4,823.1 million USD).

Between January-September, Colombia exported $6.2 billion USD in non-mining goods to 16 Latin American countries. In the first 9 months of the year, global foreign sales of non-mining energy goods totaled $16.5 billion USD.

In volume, this represented 2.5 million tons for a 3% growth compared to a year ago.

Venezuela

It should be noted that Venezuela has been increasing its share receiving Colombia’s non-mining energy exports. From representing 1.6% of this type of sales a year ago and occupying 17th place in this ranking, today it represents 2.7% of these exports and occupies 7th place.

Between January and September of this year, exports of non-mining goods to Venezuela reached $438 million USD for a growth of 108.4% compared to the same period of 2021, when it represented “only” $210,4 million USD.

Among the goods most exported to Venezuela are sweets, plastics, fertilizers, palm and soybean oils, margarines, laminated products, bakery products, compresses and electric accumulators.

Non-mining energy goods

As for non-mining energy goods exports to the world, in September alone, Colombia sold $1.831 billion USD in this type of product, which is their highest value exported in a September. It represents a growth of 19% compared to the same month of 2021 and 48.9% compared to the ninth month of 2019, a year before the covid-19 pandemic.

Exports in September were driven by industrial products, Ministry of Commerce classification, which accounted for 62.6% of the non-mining market basket in September and grew 13.5% compared to the same month of 2021.

In this group, some products stand out for their growth such as doors, windows and their frames (266.6%); vehicles for passenger transportation (116.8%); coffee extracts and concentrates (73.5%); cane or beet sugar (32.4%); other hair preparations (16.1%) and chocolates, confectionery and candies (15.3%), among others.

In this same month, exports of primary products to the world, according to the classification of the Trade portfolio, represented 37.3% of non-mining exports and grew 30% when compared to the same period of 2021.

Among these products, we can highlight the growth of unroasted coffee, whose exports grew 26.3%. In addition, bananas and plantains increased 47.9%; flowers (28.6%); frozen beef (14.4%); Hass avocado (53.6%); tilapia fillets (147.9%) and Tahiti lime (61.3%), among others.

“In the government of President Gustavo Petro we work to strengthen the domestic market, exports, to replace imports and to generate income that allows the reduction of inequality. In this purpose, it is essential to promote the creation of small and medium-sized companies to create more exportable supply and integrate them into international value chains,” said the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Germán Umaña Mendoza.

The main destination for exports of non-mining energy goods in September was the United States, which accounted for 29.8% of these sales. Exports to that market totaled $545.3 million USD, an increase of 35% compared to the same month last year. The second most important market for these exports was Ecuador, which accounted for 8.4%. They totaled $153.1 million USD, an increase of 1% compared to September 2021. The third most important destination was Brazil, which accounted for 6.1% of these exports. In September they reached $111.2 million USD, an increase of 28%.

Between January and September of this year, Colombia’s exports of non-mining and energy goods reached $16.48 billion USD and represented 37.6% of total domestic sales abroad.  This is the highest amount exported for this period in history. They increased 26.2% compared to the same period in 2021 and 43.3% compared to January-September 2019, the year prior to the pandemic generated by covid.

It is also interesting to note that Colombia’s total exports to the United States were $11.4 billion USD in the first nine months of the year, compared to $901.82 million USD for Canada, $5.7 billion USD for the European Union and $481.26 million USD for the United Kingdom.

Above photo: Port of Cartagena (photo © Loren Moss)

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Ximena Lombana Villalba, indicated that this agreement was negotiated to provide continuity between the UK and Colombia as originally agreed to within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which the United Kingdom left on December 31, 2020.

The tariff commitments acquired by the two countries are developed through Decree 894 of May 31, 2022. With the implementation of this agreement, Colombia has 18 active bilateral or multilateral international trade agreements in force.

Between 2002 and 2021 UK based entities invested more than $22.6 billion USD in Colombia.

In 2021, trade between the two countries totaled $934.5 million USD, with exports of total goods from Colombia to the UK for $451 million USD, which represented 1.1% of what the country sold globally and 10.1% of what it exported to continental Europe. These exports grew 19.6% compared to 2020.

Between January and April of this year, sales to that market totaled $215.2 million USD, an increase of 39.5% compared to the same period in 2021. Of that total, US$133.2 million corresponds to non-mining assets.

“That country has a population of 67.2 million inhabitants that grows annually by 0.6% and is characterized by being a high-income society, where trends towards sustainable and responsible consumption have grown. It is a country with high purchasing power, with a GDP per capita of US$41,059, so it was necessary to maintain that preferential access for Colombian products,” said Minister Lombana.

One of the sectors for which the UK is a relevant market is for agriculture. About 68% of exports corresponded to this class of products, among which bananas stand out (representing about 30% of total exports), coffee (17%), flowers (11%), Hass avocado (almost 6%). Tilapia and passion fruit are also emerging exports, along with latex balloons, instant coffee, and medicines.

“In order to achieve this, we have given priority to sectors such as agriculture – with Hass avocado and medicinal cannabis projects-, fulfillment centers, health, home and personal care; metallurgical, IT & Software, Spanish and English contact centers, and technological services for the health industry,” said Invest Pacific Executive Director Alejandro Ossa Cardenas (above photo).

So far in 2020, four investment projects have been confirmed or established in the region with the support from Invest Pacific: An Israeli investment in avocado exports, a Panamanian technology company established in Cali; the reinvestment of a BPO company from Nicaragua, and a French BPO firm.

“A contraction in foreign direct investment is projected on a global level. That is why, as a regional agency, we are already preparing for this new outlook, in order to be able to position with greater strength our region as an ideal platform for new businesses. Also, working hand in hand with our institutions, the municipalities, the governor’s office, business network and ProColombia in the strengthening of all these capabilities and competitive advantages that allow us to move forward in the midst of this new reality,” said Ossa.

The Cali based investment promotion agency has been active for 9 years, and claims credit forn 119 investment projects generating approximately $1 billion USD in economic activity and contributed to the creation of around 14.000 formal jobs.

And even though guacamole is Mexican in origin, the amount of the green dip made in the US with Colombian avocados is growing. According to figures from Colombia’s DANE Statistics Agency and ProColombia analysis, between January and November 2019, sales to the United States reached US $3.5 million—an increase of more than 470% compared to the same period of 2018.

Most avocados imported by the US come from México, though Colombian exports are growing. Last year, Colombia exported 541 tons of avocados to the US, and according to Jorge Enrique Restrepo, executive director of Medellín based trade group Corpohass, “in the three weeks prior to the Super Bowl there is a 30% increase in avocado consumption” in the US over yearlong averages.

Avocado photo courtesy InvestPacific

Shakira photo by Andres.Arranz

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