According to data provided by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), Colombian agricultural exports to the US market have grown by 35.5% between 2012, when the Free Trade Agreement between both countries entered into force, and 2018, going from 2.098 billion dollars to 2.844 billion dollars. Between January and October 2019, sales reached $ 2.379 billion.
“Currently, 97 agricultural products from Colombia have access to the US market. In fact, nine of the top 10 non-mining products exported to that country are agricultural products, which just goes to show the potential that sector has in that market,” said the director of AmCham Colombia, María Claudia Lacouture. The share of agriculture in non-mining exports went from 51.5% in 2012 to 66% in the first 10 months of 2019.
New agricultural products, such as Tahiti lime, cape gooseberry, and yam also obtained access. In 2018, lime exports amounted to $ 5.8 million, i.e. 1,796% more than in 2012, when sales totaled $306,143 dollars. Between January and October 2019, sales reached $5.2 million dollars. Cape gooseberry achieved its total admissibility in 2014 and reached 3.5 million dollars in 2018, i.e. 2,214% more than the $152,816 dollars achieved in 2012. As of October 2019, sales of this fruit have reached 1.6 million dollars.
Yam exports increased by 89.1% going from $4,320 in 2012 to $3.8 million dollars in 2018. In 2019, sales already amount to 3.1 million dollars.
“Cape gooseberry opened the way for the admissibility of other Colombian fruits in the US, such as avocado. However, there still are seven other products looking to follow those steps: passion fruit, watermelon, paprika, melon, mango, gulupa, and pomegranate,” Lacouture added.
Until October of this year, Colombian exports to the US amounted to 9.462,5 billion dollars, i.e. 4.3% more than in the same period of 2018.
Source: portafolio.co
