Overview

The United States exported $6.7 billion in merchandise to Colombia in 2006, up from $3.6 billion in 2002. That was an 87 percent increase over the 2002–06 period, well above the 50 percent increase in U.S. exports to the world. Colombia was the 29th largest market for U.S goods in 2006, out of a total of 230 markets.

Eighteen states exported more than $50 million in goods to Colombia in 2006. Thirteen of these states exported goods worth more than $100 million, and two exported merchandise worth more than $1 billion.

Texas and Florida were the top state exporters to Colombia in 2006. Texas recorded merchandise exports of $1.7 billion to Colombia, while Florida recorded shipments of $1.6 billion. Together, these two states accounted for 49 percent of total U.S. goods exported to Colombia in 2006.

Other states that posted significant export totals to Colombia in 2006 were Louisiana ($630 million), Illinois ($214 million), Alabama ($206 million), California ($200 million), North Carolina ($154 million), New Jersey ($144 million), Pennsylvania ($127 million), and Georgia ($126 million).

Forty-three of the states increased their merchandise exports to Colombia from 2002 to 2006. Texas recorded the largest dollar increase, boosting shipments to Colombia by $994 million—from $690 million in 2002 to $1.7 billion in 2006. Other states with noteworthy increases in export value to Colombia over the 2002–06 period were Florida (up $613 million), Louisiana (up $214 million), Alabama (up $163 million), and Illinois (up $123 million).

Manufactured goods made up 86 percent of U.S. merchandise exports to Colombia in 2006. Basic chemicals were the largest manufactured export category, with $928 million, or 14 percent of total U.S. shipments of merchandise. Other significant manufactured export categories were computer equipment ($562 million); agricultural and construction machinery ($512 million); resin, synthetic rubber, and synthetic fibers and filaments ($351 million); and general purpose machinery ($226 million).

The United States also exported significant amounts of unprocessed agricultural commodities to Colombia in 2006. Shipments of unprocessed oilseeds and grains totaled $526 million, accounting for 8 percent of total U.S. exports to Colombia.

In dollar terms, the leading growth category among manufactured exports to Colombia was basic chemicals. Export shipments of these products doubled during the 2002–06 period, growing from $459 million to $928 million. Other manufactured export categories that registered large dollar growth during this period were agriculture and construction machinery (up $309 million); computer equipment (up $243 million); resin, synthetic rubber, and synthetic fibers and filaments (up $183 million); and petroleum and coal products (up $140 million).

In percentage terms, the fastest-growing categories among U.S. manufactured exports to Colombia were furniture and related products; cement and concrete products; sawmill and wood products; fibers, yarns, and threads; and petroleum and coal products. All of these rose by more than 470 percent from 2002 to 2006.

A total of 9,112 U.S. companies exported merchandise to Colombia in 2005 (the latest year for which data are available). Of those, 7,705 (85 percent) were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with fewer than 500 employees.

In 2005, U.S. SMEs exported $1.7 billion in merchandise to Colombia. This represented 35 percent of total U.S. exports to Colombia, well above the 29 percent SME share of U.S. exports to the world.

Charts and Tables

U.S. Exports to Colombia Have Increased 87 Percent Since 2002

Basic Chemicals Is the Largest Category of Exports to Colombia

Texas Recorded the Biggest Growth in Exports to Colombia from 2002 to 2006

27 States Exported $25 Million or More to Colombia in 2006

State Merchandise Export Totals to Colombia, 2002–06, Ranked by 2006 Export Value