weighted score 4.6 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Colombia
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Colombia-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
5
TVPRA lists 8 products (bricks, coal, coca, coffee, emeralds, gold, sugarcane). Artisanal mining and rural agriculture sectors at elevated risk. Urban formal sector substantially lower risk.
Worker rights & FOA
5
All ILO fundamental conventions ratified. Historically worst global record for trade union killings — improving but not resolved. Implementation gaps in rural sectors.
OHS & audit transparency
4
Audit access generally feasible in formal economy. Coffee and floriculture sectors have established third-party audit infrastructure. Artisanal mining and informal agriculture less accessible.
Food & product safety
4
INVIMA (national food and drug authority) functional. Coffee and flower exports meet EU phytosanitary requirements. RASFF alert rate for Colombian products relatively low.
Environmental & regulatory
6
EUDR exposure across coffee, cocoa, and cattle. Amazon deforestation a material concern. However, coffee sector traceability infrastructure is relatively advanced.
Governance & anti-corruption
6
TI CPI 2024: 40/100. Corruption risk in public procurement and extractive industries. Anti-corruption framework exists but enforcement uneven. Judicial system functional but slow.
Tariff & preferential access
2
EU-Colombia FTA (2013) provides comprehensive preferential access. Duty-free entry for most industrial and key agricultural products. Tariff tier 2.
Non-tariff barriers
4
FTA-based Rules of Origin apply. SPS requirements for agricultural exports well-understood by established exporters. EUDR compliance will add due diligence burden for coffee, cocoa, and cattle.
Supply chain traceability
5
Coffee traceability good — Federación Nacional de Cafeteros infrastructure. Flower sector traceable. Gold and emerald ASM supply chains have significant traceability gaps. Cocoa traceability developing.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- TVPRA listings
- US Department of Labor TVPRA list includes 8 Colombian products: bricks, coal, coca (illicit), coffee, emeralds, gold, sugarcane, and pornography. Forced labour and child labour documented across artisanal mining and agricultural sectors.
- Trade union violence
- Colombia has historically had the worst global record for trade union assassinations. The situation has improved substantially since the mid-2000s but remains a material concern. The ILO has maintained a special monitoring programme for Colombia since 2000.
- ILO conventions
- Colombia has ratified all eight ILO fundamental conventions including C087 (Freedom of Association) and C098 (Right to Organise). However, implementation and enforcement gaps persist — particularly in rural agricultural and mining sectors.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- EU FTA tariff access
- EU-Colombia/Peru Trade Agreement (2013) provides preferential tariff access. Most industrial tariffs eliminated. Agricultural concessions include coffee (duty-free), cut flowers, and tropical fruits. Tariff tier 2 — comprehensive FTA in force.
- EUDR exposure
- Colombia has material EUDR exposure across three regulated commodities: coffee (third-largest global producer), cocoa (growing production in Santander and Arauca departments), and cattle/beef (deforestation-linked pasture expansion in Amazonia and Orinoquia regions). Due diligence statements required from 2025/2026.
- Governance score
- Transparency International CPI 2024: 40/100 — placing Colombia in the lower-middle tier globally. Corruption risk concentrated in public procurement, extractive industries, and local government. National anti-corruption framework exists but enforcement is uneven.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. Colombian gold, coal, and sugarcane supply chains — given TVPRA listings — may face scrutiny under Article 5 investigations. Traceability in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is particularly challenging.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Primary export corridor
- Caribbean coast (Cartagena, Barranquilla) → Atlantic → EU ports. Pacific coast (Buenaventura) → Panama Canal → Atlantic → EU ports
- Key transit chokepoints
- Panama Canal (Pacific-origin cargo)
- Typical transit time
- 12–16 days to Northwest Europe from Caribbean ports