Colombia is the sixth largest value market for U.S. Pork exports1 but it wasn’t always this way.  More than 5 years ago NPB and U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) saw opportunity for this country; both for increasing pork consumption and positioning U.S. Pork as the trusted supplier for import demand. 

At that time, the U.S. industry started developing this market by working with the Colombian industry to promote pork generally and create awareness of its flavor, nutritional profile and versatility compared to other well-known proteins.  

A Worthwhile Investment 

In 2010, Colombians consumed less than two pounds of pork per capita.2  The promotional efforts and Free Trade Agreement established between the United States and Colombia in 2012 providing competitive market access for U.S. pork and pork products has enabled growth for both domestic production and imported pork demand.  

Record per capita consumption driven by both domestic production and imports 

Today, Colombians consume more than 30 pounds of pork per capita,3 Colombia now imports approximately 20% of its total pork consumption,4 and the United States is the number one supplier.5   

Partners For Years 

NPB continues our strategic partnership with USMEF as we have for decades which enables investment from the pork Checkoff to be matched by USDA trade promotion funds in key markets, such as Colombia, to promote U.S. Pork. USMEF opened an office in Bogota to focus solely on Colombia in 2018 whereas it had previously been overseen by a regional office for the entirety of South America.  

USMEF has a knowledgeable and skilled in-country team working with all sectors of the supply chain to connect importers and exporters, and promote U.S. pork in further processing, food service, butcher shops and traditional retail. They are capitalizing on the trends of continued urbanization, increasingly common dual-income households, interest in healthier foods, and demand for packaged and prepared food products6 to grow opportunities for U.S. Pork. Recently, USMEF has positioned U.S. Pork for growth in the foodservice sector through their training program spanning four cities and through a Business Match networking event. 

Next Stop: Colombia 

NPB will be promoting the U.S. Pork brand and portfolio at the upcoming U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Trade Mission to Colombia in August.7 This three-day mission will occur in Bogota and consist of several U.S. agricultural commodities.   

With Colombia being the largest South American market for U.S. agricultural products,8 and pork and pork products being the number one consumer-oriented product,9 USDA aims to showcase the presence of U.S. agricultural product offerings from both the government and private sector.   

We look forward to sharing our time in the Colombian market upon completion of this mission and we thank Colombia for being such a great customer of U.S. Pork. 

Sources:

  1. USDA/FAS & USMEF estimates, TDM
  2. USDA/FAS, TDM, USMEF preliminary forecasts for 2023, excludes variety meats
  3. https://www.pig333.com/latest_swine_news/results-of-colombian-pig-production-in-2023_20057/#:~:text=Per%20capita%20consumption%20was%20estimated,%2Dyear%20increase%20of%204.1%25 
  4. https://www.pig333.com/latest_swine_news/results-of-colombian-pig-production-in-2023_20057/#:~:text=Per%20capita%20consumption%20was%20estimated,%2Dyear%20increase%20of%204.1%25 
  5. https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/pig-meat/reporter/col 
  6. USDA FAS Spotlight on Colombia – March 2024
  7. https://fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions/colombia-august-2024#:~:text=U.S.%20Department%20of%20Agriculture%20Under,13%2D15%2C%202024  
  8. GATS
  9. Trade Data Monitor, GATS