Colombia experienced a significant boost in exports in July 2026, largely due to increased sales of fuels and non-monetary gold. The United States played a vital role in this growth.
According to the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (Dane), Colombia exported USD4,690.7 million in July 2026, resulting in total exports of USD32,489.2 million from January to July, marking increases of 5.9% and 12.7%, respectively, compared to 2025. This increase was primarily driven by fuels, extractive products, and non-monetary gold, while the agricultural and manufacturing sectors saw declines.
The Dane reported that “the exports of fuels and extractive industry products amounted to USD1,874.2 million, reflecting an 8.3% increase compared to July 2025.” The report attributed this growth largely to a 51.6% rise in exports from the other sectors group, which rose from USD394.6 million to USD598.4 million in July. A key component of this group was non-monetary gold, which increased from USD392.4 million to USD595.1 million.
In Fuels, sales of crude oil and related products grew by 13.8%, reaching USD1,259.7 million. However, coal exports decreased by 3.3%, falling from USD479.8 million to USD464.2 million. The Dane indicated that “in July 2026, 13.4 million barrels of crude oil were exported, representing a 3.1% decline compared to July 2025,” indicating a disparity between higher export values and lower export volumes.
In contrast, the manufacturing sector totaled USD978.6 million in exports, down 7.1%. Chemical products decreased by 12.4%, and manufactured goods based on material saw a 6% drop. In the agricultural sector, food and beverage exports amounted to USD1,239.6 million, a decrease of 0.8% year-on-year, with banana exports falling by 22.5% and fresh or dried fruits dropping by 27.7%. Positive trends were seen in non-roasted coffee, which grew by 2.5%, and cut flowers and foliage, which increased by 14.6%.
The cumulative total for January to July 2026 shows a strong performance from the extractive sector, with exports reaching USD32,489.2 million and a 12.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Fuels and extractive products contributed USD13,142 million, with a growth rate of 16.6%. In particular, oil exports grew by 18.6% and coal by 1.5%. Other sectors experienced a notable 90.1% increase in exports, primarily driven by non-monetary gold sales, which totaled USD4,571 million, reflecting a 90.5% increase.
While the agricultural products, food and beverages segment totaled USD8,664.7 million, it reported a 2.4% decrease. Manufacturing exports amounted to USD6,098.5 million, down 2.5%. In terms of agriculture, coffee exports fell 9.5%, while cacao dropped significantly by 62.3%. The flower industry also saw a reduction in international sales of 3%.
In July, the United States remained the leading destination for Colombian exports, accounting for 28.5% of total export value. Other notable destinations included Panama (7.2%), the Netherlands (5.4%), China (4.9%), Italy (4.6%), Canada (4.3%), and Brazil (3.8%). The Dane noted that “the increase in sales to Italy and China together contributed 6.6 percentage points to the overall variation in exports.” Italy’s exports rose from USD44.3 million in July 2025 to USD213.9 million in July 2026, significantly driven by non-monetary gold sales increasing from USD21.4 million to USD198.5 million. China’s exports reached USD230.7 million, up from USD109.8 million, largely due to USD129.7 million in crude oil sales after no sales were recorded in July 2025.
Conversely, India saw a decline, particularly in crude oil exports, which dropped from USD114.8 million to zero. In the year’s cumulative data, Italy accounted for 5.2% of exports, totaling USD1,678.1 million, up from USD359.2 million in the same period in 2025. Non-monetary gold sales in Italy climbed from USD157.7 million to USD1,334.9 million, along with USD147.2 million in crude oil sales. The United States received 28.4% of Colombian exports, totaling USD9,234.1 million, while Panama accounted for 8.5% with USD2,751.4 million. Canada received USD1,402.1 million, and exports to India totaled USD1,582.7 million, while Ecuador saw a significant decline of 33.6% down to USD710.8 million, primarily due to a drop in electricity exports from USD126.4 million to USD26 million.
Source: www.infobae.com
