At Tuesday’s meeting at the White House between United States President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, there is a less visible dimension but one of enormous impact for the Colombian economy.
Beyond the issues that have dominated headlines — migration, the anti-drug fight, regional security, and diplomatic frictions — there lies a bilateral trade exchange that exceeds US$28 billion annually, figures that represent one of the most solid and strategic pillars of the relationship between the two countries and that now face a key moment.
Although these figures take a back seat to the strong statements, opposing positions, and political challenges surrounding the meeting in Washington, their relevance to Colombia’s economic future is undeniable, as the direction these trade relations take could largely determine the stability and growth of fundamental productive sectors of the Colombian economy.
Petro–Trump meeting to shape nearly US$30 billion US–Colombia trade
This economic backdrop is not only quantitative but structural: For decades — and still today — the United States has been Colombia’s main trading partner, absorbing around 30% of its total exports, while Colombia imports a wide range of essential goods from U.S. territory.
The nearly US$30 billion trade exchange reflects decades of economic integration and interdependence that have shaped industrial policy decisions, foreign investment, and employment in both countries.
In a global context in which Colombia seeks to diversify its economic partners and reduce dependencies, today’s conversation is not limited to ideological or diplomatic issues but is also a test of how the country’s economic future is defined at a delicate juncture.
Trade between Colombia and the United States is broad and varied. Colombia exports to the U.S. traditional products such as flowers, coffee, fruits, avocados, and oil, along with industrial and technological goods that have grown in importance over time. According to official data, exports to the United States reached figures close to US$13.5 billion between January and November 2025, representing around one-third of what Colombia sells to the world.
In the opposite direction, Colombia imports a similar amount of goods from the United States, many of them inputs that are not produced locally and that are essential for the operation of key industries. In addition, the United States is the main foreign investor in Colombia, with contributions totaling billions of dollars and supporting projects in sectors as diverse as infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing.
Moreover, U.S. tourism generates a significant inflow of foreign currency into the country, with more than 1 million U.S. visitors recorded in the first eleven months of 2025.
In addition, it is worth recalling that the trade balance between Colombia and the United States — always favorable to the Americans — has shown a clear trend in recent years toward reinforcing this imbalance, after experiencing its most balanced year between imports and exports in 2017.
In the current context of a strong depreciation of the dollar, something that harms Colombian exports, this scenario would tend to be reinforced even more strongly.
Optimism and caution from the economic sector
According to statements by political scientist Andres Felipe Ortega to the local outlet La Republica, President Petro’s meeting today in Washington will seek to send a message of reassurance to traders in both countries, amid a “favorable” tariff environment compared with other economies.
“Colombia will seek to open new lines of business and assess which products can be positioned in the U.S. market. We bring goods such as technology, while we offer tourism, in addition to traditional exports such as coffee, flowers, and avocados,” he explained to the outlet.
For her part, Maria Claudia Lacouture, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Colombia (AmCham), expects exports not to be affected by this situation “because of the good historical trade relations.” In statements to La Republica, Lacouture expressed optimism about what she sees as the best opportunity the Petro government has had to redirect its complicated relations with the Trump administration.
After a complex 2025, which began in late January with the first clash between Trump and Petro over flights carrying deportees from the United States and the first tariff threat, today’s pivotal meeting 12 months later, could redefine relations between the two traditional partners toward a scenario of respect amid differences, something that should allow for strengthening a solid economic context between both countries.
Political tensions and commercial bets
At the same time, the context of today’s meeting cannot be understood without recognizing the history of tensions between the two leaders and how these have permeated even the commercial sphere.
The open differences between Trump and Petro, ranging from accusations over drug trafficking to diplomatic controversies over Venezuela and migration policies, have generated an atmosphere of uncertainty that could indirectly affect market confidence and investors’ perception of Colombia.
This White House meeting is, in that sense, both a diplomatic trial by fire and an opportunity to stabilize a relationship that has had ups and downs and now faces unusual challenges, including public reproaches and sanctions implemented by Washington in the recent past on issues ranging from security cooperation to immigration.
Today’s formal agenda, while focused on sensitive issues with high political impact, does not lose sight of this economic component. Economic officials from both governments have pointed to the importance of sending clear signals of stability and continuity in trade relations, so that exporters and investors on both sides of the border can plan with a more predictable horizon.
In some way, these economic discussions are the necessary counterpoint to balance a dialogue that would otherwise risk becoming trapped solely in political disputes or differences in vision regarding security and regional geopolitics.
The truth is that today’s meeting between Petro and Trump has more at stake than statements and agreements on foreign policy issues. It also risks — and at the same time offers — the possibility of strengthening a nearly US$30 billion trade exchange that, even though it takes a back seat to other priorities on the agenda, is an essential part of Colombia’s economic fabric and its projection toward a global future in which the United States continues to play a prominent role.
Related: Historic Meeting between Colombia’s Petro and President Trump Moves Forward.