Colombia: Merchandise export accelerated notably in September
Merchandise exports expanded 40.4% year-on-year in September, accelerating markedly from August’s 28.4% growth. Looking at the details of the release, September’s stronger increase was largely due to fuel shipments—the country’s key export—increasing at a more robust pace in September compared to August.
Merchandise imports increased 56.0% in September, picking up from August’s 45.4% increase. Consequently, the merchandise trade deficit widened to USD 1.6 billion in September from the USD 0.8 billion one clocked in September 2020. Accordingly, the trend deteriorated, with the 12-month trailing merchandise trade balance logging a USD 14.3 billion deficit in September from the USD 13.5 billion deficit recorded in August.