The United States is Colombia's main trading partner in the textile sector

The United States is Columbia's leading partner in the textile and garment production industry with an export volume of $243 million dollars in 2014, said the organizers of Colombiamoda, the Medellin-based trade fair that took place this month.

The trade balance with the US was positive for Colombia, as imports reached $213 million dollars last year, up 19% from $29 million dollars in 2013.

"The Free Trade Agreement facilitated the commercial relationship and encouraged the attendance of buyers to the fairs," said in a statement the organizers of Colombiamoda, the most important fair in the country, and one of the most important in Latin America.

Following the US, Colombian exports in the textile and garment production sector were concentrated in Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela and Peru - the latter being the main buyer of swimwear, women’s lingerie and leather textiles from
Medellin.

The Colombian textile and garment industry "accounts for 1.6% of the country’s total exports, 9.5% of the manufacturing sector and 5.6% of the non-traditional trades." While clothing exports amounted up to $895 million dollars, the sector’s imports accounted for $2.502 million dollars, said the document.

Colombian imports of clothing and textiles come mainly from China, the United States, India, Mexico and Peru.

Colombiamoda, which brought together 479 international buyers this year, also hosted Spanish companies like El Corte Ingles and Inditex, the fashion conglomerate which owns Zara, Pull and Bear, Bershka and Stradivarius.