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Who does Colombia rely on?

The largest supplier of Colombia in 2024 is the United States, with 26.5% of what Colombia buys. Its share was 25.7% in 2019 and 35.3% in 1995. 440 of the 889 products Colombia buys for more than $1 million have a supplier selling more than 50% of what Colombia buys of that product; in 158, more than 75%. In those products, purchases from each one’s dominant supplier add up to 37% of what Colombia buys.

Summary

Largest supplier: United States
26.5%
Concentration (HHI)
1,457
Products with a supplier above 50%
440
Products with a supplier above 75%
158

Concentration index (HHI): 1,457 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting purchases among 7 suppliers of the same size

Trend

Trend in shares

China went from 0.99% to 25.5% of what Colombia buys

Share (%)

  • United States 26.5%
  • China 25.5%
  • Brazil 5.3%
  • Mexico 5.1%
  • Germany 3.5%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest supplierShare
1995United States35.3%
1996United States35.6%
1997United States35.9%
1998United States31.8%
1999United States37.8%
2000United States34.2%
2001United States34.6%
2002United States32.7%
2003United States30.5%
2004United States29.5%
2005United States29.6%
2006United States27.2%
2007United States27.2%
2008United States29.7%
2009United States29.5%
2010United States26.3%
2011United States25.5%
2012United States25.1%
2013United States27.7%
2014United States28.7%
2015United States29.3%
2016United States26.9%
2017United States26.5%
2018United States25.9%
2019United States25.7%
2020United States24.5%
2021China25%
2022United States24.9%
2023United States25.8%
2024United States26.5%

Its suppliers

  1. United States$16.6 billion · 26.5%
  2. China$16 billion · 25.5%
  3. Brazil$3.3 billion · 5.3%
  4. Mexico$3.2 billion · 5.1%
  5. Germany$2.2 billion · 3.5%
  6. Japan$1.4 billion · 2.2%
  7. India$1.4 billion · 2.2%
  8. France$1.2 billion · 1.9%
  9. Spain$1.1 billion · 1.8%
  10. Italy$1.1 billion · 1.7%

Products with a dominant supplier

Of the 889 products Colombia buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
Refined petroleumUnited States89.4%over 75%Belgium · 3.4%$4.1 billion
Cameras and broadcast equipmentChina73.1%Vietnam · 12.9%$2.4 billion
CornUnited States96.9%over 75%Brazil · 1.8%$1.6 billion
ComputersChina74.8%Mexico · 10.3%$1.2 billion
Natural gas and LPGUnited States82.2%over 75%Trinidad and Tobago · 12.9%$1 billion
Soybean meal and pelletsUnited States76.6%over 75%Bolivia · 19%$827 million
New tiresChina51.4%Brazil · 10.3%$634 million
PolyethyleneUnited States71.9%Brazil · 5.6%$598 million
WheatCanada64.7%United States · 23.9%$542 million
Monitors and projectorsMexico66%China · 28.5%$490 million
Crude petroleumUnited States71.5%Nigeria · 18.3%$464 million
PorkUnited States77.9%over 75%Canada · 13.9%$454 million
Alloy steel sheetChina62.5%Japan · 26.6%$351 million
Polyethers, polyesters and epoxy resinsChina53.3%United States · 12.1%$330 million
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol)United States91.7%over 75%Bolivia · 3.1%$327 million
Halogenated hydrocarbonsUnited States96.7%over 75%China · 2.8%$315 million
Soybean oilBolivia66.1%United States · 23.9%$299 million
Copper wirePeru59.1%Chile · 20.4%$286 million
Transformers and power suppliesChina53.3%Brazil · 11.1%$264 million
ToysChina92.3%over 75%Mexico · 2.7%$262 million
Bags, suitcases and casesChina90.6%over 75%Vietnam · 2.5%$256 million
Potash fertilizersCanada57.9%Germany · 14.3%$230 million
Open-chain hydrocarbonsUnited States87.5%over 75%United Arab Emirates · 5.7%$230 million
Lamps and light fittingsChina88.6%over 75%United States · 2.5%$224 million
Air conditionersChina81.5%over 75%Thailand · 4.2%$212 million

and 415 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Countries that sell more than 50% of some product; the darker, the higher the value of those products.

Selling: who it relies on

Largest customer: United States
29.8%
Concentration (HHI)
1,106

Concentration index (HHI): 1,106 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 9 customers of the same size

Trend in shares

Panama went from 1.2% to 8.1% of what Colombia sells

Share (%)

  • United States 29.8%
  • Panama 8.1%
  • India 5.3%
  • China 4.6%
  • Ecuador 4%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest customerShare
1995United States34.8%
1996United States37.8%
1997United States36.4%
1998United States36.9%
1999United States48.5%
2000United States47.4%
2001United States40.4%
2002United States41.5%
2003United States42.8%
2004United States38.1%
2005United States38.4%
2006United States36.4%
2007United States32.4%
2008United States33.2%
2009United States35.2%
2010United States38.8%
2011United States36%
2012United States35%
2013United States30.8%
2014United States26.4%
2015United States28.1%
2016United States31.6%
2017United States28.4%
2018United States26%
2019United States30.1%
2020United States29.2%
2021United States26.9%
2022United States26.1%
2023United States26.9%
2024United States29.8%

183 of the 571 products Colombia sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what Colombia sells of that product; in 73, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 14% of what Colombia sells.

ProductCustomerShareSecondValue
Refined petroleumUnited States60.9%Bahamas · 13%$2.3 billion
Cut flowersUnited States78.3%over 75%Canada · 3.4%$2.3 billion
Aluminum structuresUnited States96.3%over 75%Cayman Islands · 1.5%$611 million
FerroalloysChina50.8%Netherlands · 15.8%$569 million
Transformers and power suppliesUnited States74.1%Canada · 3.6%$412 million
ElectricityEcuador100%over 75%—$330 million
PVC and other vinyl polymersBrazil64%United States · 9%$326 million
Precious metal orePeru56.5%India · 14.2%$308 million
PolypropyleneBrazil52.8%Mexico · 13%$278 million
Preserved fruit and nutsUnited States61.1%France · 5.8%$177 million
Citrus fruitUnited States70.6%Netherlands · 8.4%$159 million
BusesMexico96.2%over 75%Chile · 3.6%$138 million
CementUnited States72.5%France · 13.6%$112 million
Plastic pipes and hosesUnited States75.2%over 75%Venezuela · 2.8%$102 million
Coconut and palm kernel oilMexico54%Netherlands · 13.7%$100 million

and 168 more

Concentration compared

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

RankCountryHHI
85Grenada1,526
86Barbados1,525
87Colombia1,457
88Kiribati1,438
89Uzbekistan1,434
90Guatemala1,421

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.