Colombia’s Trade Deficit Widens in January

Colombia’s trade deficit widened to $1.65 billion in January 2026 from $1.60 billion a year earlier. Imports rose 9.7% to $5.90 billion, led by manufactured goods (14.1%). Also, agricultural, food, and beverage imports jumped 13.2%. Meanwhile, fuel and extractive product imports fell 24.6%. China accounted for 31.0% of imports, followed by the US, Mexico, and Brazil. Exports surged 12.6% to $4.25 billion, the strongest gain since April 2024, driven by a 108.4% leap in “Other Sectors,” mainly non-monetary gold, and a 23.0% rise in agricultural, food, and beverage exports, led by unroasted coffee and bananas. Manufactured goods exports fell 4.4%, and combustibles and extractive products declined 7.2%. The US remained the top export destination (31.9%), followed by Panama, India, Canada, Italy, Brazil, and Ecuador.

Colombia’s trade deficit widened to about $1.51 billion in December 2025 from $1.17 billion a year earlier. Imports rose 7.1% year-on-year to $6.05 billion, driven by a 12.5% rise in manufactured goods purchases. Within manufacturing, machinery and transport equipment imports climbed 17.0%, while chemicals and related products rose 0.5%. Imports of agricultural, food and beverage products grew 9.8%, amid higher purchases of beverages and tobacco (+81.4%) and food products and live animals (+5.4%). By contrast, imports of fuels and extractive industry products fell 22.0%, largely due to lower purchases of petroleum and petroleum products (-23.7%). Meanwhile, exports rose 1.3% year-on-year to $4.54 billion; sales of petroleum and petroleum-derived products plunged 22.6%, while the “other exports” category surged 90.4% on a large increase in non-monetary gold shipments. Manufactured goods rose 3.2% and agricultural exports increased 5.4%.

Colombia’s trade deficit narrowed to about $1.87 billion in November 2025 from $2.28 billion a year earlier. Imports increased 0.3% year-on-year to $5.89 billion, driven by a 2.9% rise in manufactured goods purchases. Within manufacturing, machinery and transport equipment imports climbed 7.8%, while chemicals and related products rose 1.8%. Imports of agricultural, food and beverage products grew 4.1%, amid higher purchases of food products and live animals (4.5%). By contrast, imports of fuels and extractive industry products fell 21.6%, largely due to lower purchases of petroleum and petroleum products (-19.9%). Meanwhile, exports declined 2.7% year-on-year to $4.02 billion, weighed by a 26.0% drop in fuels and extractive products, amid lower sales of coal and related products (-47.4%) and petroleum and petroleum products (-16.4%).