Colombia Market Business Entry Guide 2022 – Chapter 1

This is the first chapter of Ongresso‘s Colombia Market Entry Guide 2022, we present an overview of what you should know and/or be aware of when expanding your business to Colombia. More information about the region and services offered can be found on the Ongresso website. To stay informed about regional news and international business updates in Latin America, follow Ongresso on social media.

Colombia has grown into one of the leading economic powers in the region over the past 10 years, overtaking countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Brazil in annual percentage GDP growth. Despite the continent’s many political challenges, Colombia is now a major destination for many international companies and investors. And rightly so, because with Medellin (Ranking as third best city in the world according to the Time Out Index 2022) and Bogota (One of Latin America’s fastest growing mega cities), Colombia provides an attractive market for international expansion. The country’s undisputed strengths include its geographical location, abundance of natural resources, and an innovative business environment that has been fostered by the local government and flourished thanks to its talented and well-educated workforce.

Colombia’s geographical location is a major advantage that heavily contributes to the country’s commercial success. Bordering two oceans and serving as a link between Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, Colombia is regarded internationally as an important strategic trading partner. This is made evident by the number of established free trade agreements in the region and throughout the world, including strong trade partnerships with  the USA and EU. Trade volumes with the world power China, Colombia’s second largest trading partner since 2018, is also growing steadily. A bilateral free trade agreement is only a matter of time.

The enormous wealth of natural resources account for the majority of Colombia’s exports. High temperatures and frequent rainfalls shape the third largest country of Latin America as an agricultural utopia with extreme biodiversity. It is 1 of only 17 countries in the world that boasts the label “megadiverse” and is ranked 2nd on the list, only behind Brazil. Agriculture and commodities drive most of the national industries. Some of the top export items from Colombia include coal, petroleum, coffee, flowers, bananas, and gold.