In August 2020, exports have fallen around 24.3% due to the global health crisis. Mining companies have fallen 33% on the decline in international oil and coal prices, but non-mining companies have fallen only 10%. There are even sectors or companies that have managed to export more amid the pandemic.

Exports of non-mining products reached US $ 9,233.2 million between January and August of this year. This represents a participation of 45.5% of the total, the highest record since 2008 and higher than the 38.7% with which 2019 closed. Some agricultural, agro-industrial and industrial goods, as well as services and biosecurity elements, grow in the middle of the pandemic. Without a doubt, these are trends that must be reinforced.

The COVID crisis, which will lead Colombia into a recession, once again brought to the fore the country's high dependence on commodities. That worries before the new trajectory of the oil price, around US $ 30 or 45 per barrel and the collapse of coal prices. The crisis will also strongly impact sectors such as tourism, in which the nation had placed its hopes for growth, and flower exports.

Colombia must find new sources of growth and continue diversifying its production and export apparatus to achieve a true reactivation. Among the sectors that have best managed to overcome the pandemic are agriculture, with a slight growth of 0.7% in exports for the year to date, and agro-industrial sectors, which have grown by 4.1%. According to the Ministry of Commerce, they have registered increases in their exports of fresh beef (151.6%), frozen fish (138.7%), panela (30.3%), dairy products and poultry eggs (21%), frozen beef (20%), palm oil (14.8%), sugar (13.7%), coffee concentrates (12.7%), coffee (2.6%) and soybean oil (1, 6%).

In fresh fruits, the increase in sales of mandarins (433.9%), watermelons (73.4%), mangoes (52.8%), oranges (24.8%) and Tahiti lime (7.9%) stand out. ), among others. Hass avocado exports increased by 29% and could exceed US $ 100 million for the first time this year, making it an important player in the agro-export basket.

Exports of manufactured products also stand out. For example masks. In the accumulated to August, these exports totaled US $ 35.9 million, while in the same period last year they did not come out more than US $ 85,000. There are many companies of cleaning products, absorption and cleaning implements, chemicals, protective masks, antibacterial gels, multivitamins, and hospital furniture and uniforms that take advantage of the situation well.

There are also cases of goods and services companies that belong to the 4.0 industry sectors with cybersecurity services and health software, such as the company Deepsea, which exported covid-19 thermal imaging cameras to measure temperature at the entrances of buildings and offices. . Or Vortexbird, whose platform for online events closed negotiations with one of the largest organizers in Panama.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, these exports have been growing: electrical transformers (43.1%), paper-cardboard products (1.6%), discs-tapes-media for recording (22.5%), car bodies (701% ), strained glass (1.5%), soaps (1.7%) and oral hygiene preparations (2.8%).

The strategy
To contribute to the reactivation, and within the framework of the "Commitment to Colombia" plan, the Government will prioritize the export of 134 goods to 57 countries, explained the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Laura Valdivieso. In this segment, 1,911 companies and more than 3,500 international buyers have already been identified.

He also identified the need to promote the export of knowledge-based services and to promote e-commerce. In electronic commerce, the goal is to have 400 companies, with businesses for US $ 12 million, and a 20% annual growth in e-commerce sales by 2022. 86 companies have opened their eBay and Amazon accounts, and 51 already sell products such as Colombian coffee to the United States, Croatia, Martinique, Oman, Japan and Singapore. In the offer there are also bathing suits, girdles and sportswear.

In addition, public purchases by other governments must be explored. Here the goal is to get 50 companies to sell US $ 2 million in topics such as coffee and its derivatives, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and their derivatives, oils and fats, sugar and agroindustrial, software and IT services, engineering and construction services, equipment hospital and uniforms, among others. Opportunities were identified in 21 goods and services with a special emphasis on industries 4.0.

Finally, ProColombia found that regional trade will strengthen after the pandemic as well as nearshoring, much more so now for Colombia, which holds the pro tempore presidency of the CAN and the Virtual Business Macro Round of the Americas will be held in November. "Colombia can lead the economic reactivation of the region," said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

Despite the pandemic, in terms of foreign trade the battle is not lost.