Colombia heads into year-end with strong trade figures and logistics stretched to the limit. Colombia imports more than ever: between January and August, purchases from abroad grew 17.2% versus the same period in 2025. In August alone they reached US$7.7 billion CIF, a 31.7% jump for the month. Analdex, the national foreign trade association, projects the year will close near US$80 billion in imports, a record.
Colombia imports at record levels while exports tell a more mixed story
Exports also advanced, though with caveats. In the first half they totaled US$27.8 billion, up 14.2%, but the push came mostly from gold and fuels, while agriculture fell 2.4% and manufacturing declined. Analdex estimates the year will close below or very close to US$50 billion.
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Imports, January to August | +17.2% vs. 2025 |
| Imports in August | US$7.7 billion CIF (+31.7%) |
| Exports, first half | US$27.8 billion (+14.2%) |
| Seaborne cargo, first half | 66.05 million tons (+6.8%) |
| Additional U.S. tariff | 12.5% since July 24 |
Ports regain volume, but still below 2024
By sea, 66.05 million tons moved in the first half, up 6.8% year over year. Cartagena, Santa Marta and Buenaventura handle 76.9% of that cargo. Even so, the total remains below the 69.2 million tons of 2024. According to the Superintendency of Transport, Colombian port zones also handled more than 3.2 million containers in the semester.
What is happening with transport costs
- Fuel. Diesel (ACPM) closed October at an average of COP 11,320 per gallon, stable by government decision, versus COP 10,984 in January. The COP 46 increase planned for gasoline in October was reversed.
- Road transport. The July update to SICETAC, the official system for efficient road freight costs, led groups such as Fenalcarbón to ask for a review, citing increases of up to 47% in some transport costs. The Superintendency of Transport, for its part, has fined companies that pay below efficient costs.
- Weight of logistics. Analdex estimates that logistics in Colombia account for about 15% of a shipment’s value, compared with 8% or 9% in competing countries.
Buenaventura: the road and the port remain the bottleneck
The road to Buenaventura has been one of the hardest-hit points of the year. According to Colfecar, the national trucking association, by the end of May there had already been 20 blockades on that corridor in 2026, including five consecutive days of closure starting May 19. Nationwide, Colfecar’s Bloqueómetro counted 309 blockades between January and May, with losses of COP 1.3 trillion, and Valle del Cauca was the department with the most cases, at 36.
What one day of blockade costs. Fedetranscarga estimates that each blockade day leaves about 57,000 tons of cargo stalled and costs foreign trade roughly US$92 million.
On top of that, Muelle 13 (Dock 13), which handled about 1.6 million tons a year, remains suspended, and port operators point to it as part of the congestion. Empty container backlogs also persist, and so does the debate over the COP 4,235-per-ton charge, which the district stopped applying on October 14.
Tariffs: another front for exporters
Since July 24, an additional 12.5% U.S. tariff has applied to part of Colombian exports. Analdex estimates it left US$4.4 billion in exports exposed. Coffee, oil, gold, bananas and avocados were excluded. On October 12, Trump said he might lift it, but there is no formal decision yet.
What to expect at year-end
Global port congestion is at its highest level since the pandemic, and Analdex does not expect transit through the Strait of Hormuz to normalize before December or the first quarter of 2027. With peak season here, planning early makes all the difference.
Plan your year-end shipments early
At Fenix Global Cargo we support your imports and exports with offices in Medellín, Bogotá, Cartagena and Buenaventura. Message us and let’s review your shipping dates before the year-end rush.
Talk to an advisorSources
- Portafolio: Colombia’s imports in August
- ABC Economía: Analdex import projection
- ABC Economía: first-half exports
- Portafolio: gold and exports
- Portafolio: national seaborne cargo
- El Universal: port zones and containers
- Vanguardia: gasoline price in October
- Ministry of Mines and Energy: diesel price in October
- Portafolio: Fenalcarbón and SICETAC
- Asuntos Legales: fines for paying below efficient costs
- ABC Economía: logistics costs according to Analdex
- La República: blockades on the Buenaventura road
- Portafolio: Colfecar’s Bloqueómetro
- Contexto Ganadero: five days of blockades in Buenaventura
- El País: the Muelle 13 situation
- Forbes Colombia: Buenaventura will not apply the charge
- Portafolio: tariffs, war and congested ports
- La República: possible removal of the 12.5% tariff
