In August 2023, the Colombian Institute of Agriculture stopped issuing import permits for US poultry, egg, and genetics products, citing concerns over the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the region, according to a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report. Colombia’s market closure was a deviation from the 2012 regionalisation agreement under the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement between Colombia and the United States for avian influenza.

As a result of months of effort on the part of USDA and other key US government agencies to advocate that Colombia resume the issuance of import permits and hold firm to its commitments under the trade agreement, Colombia reopened the market in February 2024 to US poultry products. Before the closure, Colombia was the 10th largest market globally for US poultry, with exports reaching $105 million in 2022.

This reopening comes at an opportune time as Colombian demand for US agricultural products continues to grow. In 2023, Colombia became the sixth largest global export market for US agricultural products.