Information about the partnership
Colombia’s dynamic market and diverse economic structure offer numerous cooperation opportunities for with German SMEs. Particularly promising sectors include agriculture, renewable energies, climate-friendly hydrogen and derivatives, the maritime economy and ports, the circular economy, construction, healthcare, Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. Partnering in Business with Germany connects Colombian companies with internationalisation potential with German companies looking to access the market. The programme supports business relations between companies from both countries, for instance through B2B meetings, and establishes a network that promotes bilateral economic relations.
Focus Areas and Cooperation Potentials of Colombia
Colombia has the fifth largest economy in Latin America. The country is focusing on economic reforms, a fair energy transition and infrastructure investment to boost competitiveness. As an high middle-income country and OECD member since 2020, Colombia has significant economic potential, primarily due to its natural resource abundance and growing renewable energy sector.
It is one of the ten most attractive investment destinations for renewable energy among emerging economies. According to the Ministry of Energy, clean energy is expected to account for 10 per cent of Colombia’s energy matrix by 2025. Powershoring in Colombia enables companies to improve their emissions balance and reduce their carbon footprint in a cost-effective manner. In addition, the region offers significant potential in the field of climate-friendly hydrogen and its derivatives.
Colombia’s diverse agriculture and growing industry also contribute to its economic growth. Export goods include coffee, bananas, flowers and sugar cane. The country’s agricultural potential is supported by its tropical climate, high rainfall and high altitudes. Its strategic location in South America, with access to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, offers advantages for trade. Colombia also has an enormous need for infrastructure development. This focuses on connectivity and digitalisation, climate and energy, and transport, especially electric mobility. Through the Global Gateway, the European Union’s connectivity initiative, the EU and its Member States are supporting the development of sustainable infrastructure in Colombia.
Business in Colombia – Opportunities for German Companies
Colombia’s economy is growing and undergoing a transition to become more sustainable and climate-friendly. The country is focusing on a socially just energy transition involving the phase-out of coal, the decarbonisation of industry, and the expansion of renewable energies. These developments creat a wide range of opportunities for German companies in Colombia, particularly in agriculture, Industry 4.0, wind and solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass, the circular economy, construction, the maritime economy and ports, healthcare, raw materials, and digitalisation.
With a trade volume of around €3.4 billion in 2024, Germany is Colombia’s largest EU trading partner and the world’s fifth-largest exporter of goods. Germany’s most important exports to Colombia include chemical products, machinery, motor vehicles and parts, and technology. In return, Germany mainly imports food and coal from Colombia.
There is great potential, particularly in climate-friendly hydrogen and its derivatives. In the coming decades, Colombia could become a significant supplier to Germany. In 2023, the two governments agreed to strengthen their energy policy cooperation, with the aim of establishing a competitive hydrogen industry in Colombia and, in the long term, exporting climate-friendly hydrogen and its derivatives to Germany.
Colombia’s national development plan for agriculture aims to make the sector more sustainable and tech- and digitalisation-oriented by 2026. This creates numerous opportunities for German companies that develop intelligent technologies or software solutions to promote sustainability in agriculture.
Germany is one of Colombia’s major investors, focusing on industrial manufacturing, renewable energies and the manufacturing and services sectors.
Industry Focus and Participant Profiles
Partnering in Business with Germany is open to executives from all sectors. A pilot group from the food industry is set to visit Germany at the end of 2025.
News
Fresh impetus for cooperation: delegations from Central Asia and Latin America at AGRITECHNICA
International delegations from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Colombia visited AGRITECHNICA – the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural technology – in Hanover from 11 to 13 November 2025 in the context of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme.
New markets, new partners – how German SMEs benefit from Latin America
Latin America is an increasingly interesting prospect for German companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to diversify their supply chains, open up new sales markets or place technologies internationally. The Partnering in Business with Germany programme brings together SMEs with fitting partners from this region. The fact that Colombia and Brazil are joining the programme as new partners underlines Latin America’s strategic importance as a forward-looking market for German SMEs.
Successful talks in Colombia
The trade relations between Colombia and Germany are to be further strengthened. For this purpose, representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the GIZ, the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT) and the government promotion agency ProColombia and further stakeholders met in Bogotá and Cali at the end of May 2025. The aim of the talks was to launch Partnering in Business with Germany with Colombia.
Your Contact in Colombia
ProColombia
