U.S. Exports to Colombia: A State Perspective
June 2010
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- For HTML display of Colombia export data by state, start on the TradeStats Express state export data page; specify any state and choose Colombia as the trade partner.
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Overview
The United States exported $9.5 billion in merchandise to Colombia in 2009, up from $5.5 billion in 2005. That was a 73 percent increase over the 2005-09 period, well above the 17 percent increase in U.S. exports to the world. Colombia was the 23rd largest market for U.S goods in 2009, out of a total of 232 markets.
Twenty-seven states exported more than $50 million in goods to Colombia in 2009. Sixteen of these states exported goods worth $100 million or more, and two exported merchandise worth more than $2 billion.
Texas and Florida were the top state exporters to Colombia in 2009. Texas recorded merchandise exports of $2.8 billion to Colombia, while Florida recorded shipments of $2.1 billion. Together, these two states accounted for 52 percent of total U.S. goods exported to Colombia in 2009.
Other states that posted significant export totals to Colombia in 2009 were Louisiana ($665 million), California ($329 million), Alabama ($304 million), Illinois ($271 million), Georgia ($265 million), Mississippi ($202 million), Tennessee ($196 million), and North Carolina ($171 million).
Forty-seven of the states increased their merchandise exports to Colombia from 2005 to 2009. Texas recorded the largest dollar increase, boosting shipments to Colombia by $1.4 billion—from $1.4 billion in 2005 to $2.8 billion in 2009. Other states with noteworthy increases in export value to Colombia over the 2005-09 period were Florida (up $803 million), Mississippi (up $185 million), California (up $173 million), and Georgia (up $161 million).
Manufactured goods made up 89 percent of U.S. merchandise exports to Colombia in 2009. Petroleum and coal products were the largest manufactured export category, with $1.2 billion, or 13 percent of total U.S. shipments of merchandise. Other significant manufactured export categories were basic chemicals ($801 million); agricultural and construction machinery ($780 million); computer equipment ($598 million); and other general purpose machinery ($506 million).
The United States also exported significant amounts of unprocessed agricultural commodities to Colombia in 2009. Shipments of unprocessed oilseeds and grains totaled $491 million, accounting for 5 percent of total U.S. exports to Colombia.
In dollar terms, the leading growth category among manufactured exports to Colombia was petroleum and coal products. Export shipments of these products grew $1.0 billion (646%) during the 2005-09 period, from $161 million to $1.2 billion. Other manufactured export categories that registered large dollar growth during this period were agriculture and construction machinery (up $459 million); other general purpose machinery (up $309 million); aerospace products and parts (up $272 million); and computer equipment (up $167 million).
In percentage terms, the fastest-growing categories among U.S. manufactured exports to Colombia were veneer, plywood and engineered wood products; crowns, closures, seals and other packing accessories; petroleum and coal products; beverages; and cement and concrete products. All of these rose by more than 357 percent from 2005 to 2009.
A total of 11,761 U.S. companies exported merchandise to Colombia in 2007 (the latest year for which data are available). Of those, 10,166 (86 percent) were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with fewer than 500 employees.
In 2007, U.S. SMEs exported $2.8 billion in merchandise to Colombia. This represented 35 percent of total U.S. exports to Colombia, well above the 30 percent SME share of U.S. exports to the world.
Charts and Tables
U.S. Exports to Colombia Have Increased 73 Percent Since 2005 (PDF)
Petroleum and Coal Products Is the Largest Category of Exports to Colombia (PDF)
Texas Recorded the Biggest Growth in Exports to Colombia from 2005 to 2009 (PDF)
27 States Exported $50 Million or More to Colombia in 2009 (PDF)
Source: Origin of Movement State Export Series and Exporter Database, U.S. Census Bureau.
Caution: The Origin of Movement series allocates exports to states based on transportation origin, i.e., the state from which goods began their journey to the port (or other point of exit) from the United States. The transportation origin of exports is not always the same as the location where the goods were produced. Consequently, conclusions about "export production" in a state should not be made solely on the basis of the Origin of Movement state export figures.
Last Updated: 7/1/10 10:52 AM
