Colombia Faces Decline in Meat Exports and Surge in Dairy Imports
Colombia's livestock sector began 2026 with challenging trade dynamics, as reported by Fedegán-FNG. During the first quarter, the country's exports of livestock products, which include meat, live cattle, and dairy derivatives, totaled USD 74.2 million. This marks a substantial decrease of nearly 44% compared to USD 132.6 million in the same period of 2025.
The most affected category was live cattle. From January to March, Colombia exported 40,452 head of cattle with a Free on Board (FOB) value of USD 36.9 million, which is significantly lower than the 88,825 head and USD 65.6 million recorded a year earlier. These volumes are among the lowest in recent years.
Meat exports also experienced a notable decline. In the first quarter, Colombia shipped 5,055 tons of meat worth USD 26.2 million, a sharp drop from 13,060 tons and USD 57.4 million in the same timeframe in 2025.
In contrast, dairy derivatives were the only segment showing positive results. The dairy exports amounted to 3,286 tons valued at USD 11.1 million, surpassing the figures from both 2024 and 2025. This growth trend has been ongoing in recent years.
Despite these gains in dairy exports, Fedegán warns that the overall challenges faced by the dairy production sector remain unresolved. Issues such as stagnant milk prices for producers, climatic effects, and the potential onset of a new El Niño phenomenon are cited as ongoing concerns.
The situation is further complicated by rising imports. In the first quarter, Colombia imported 27,316 tons of powdered milk and other dairy products at a Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of USD 93.3 million, greatly exceeding the sector's export value. The increase in imports is attributed to falling international prices for powdered milk, a lower exchange rate, and the implementation of zero tariffs on dairy products from the United States due to the expiration of tariff schedules under the free trade agreement between the two countries starting January 1, 2026.
The result is a scenario where livestock exports are losing momentum while dairy imports continue to grow, causing concern among producers and industry entities about the competitiveness of domestic production.
