U.S. Food Export to Colombia

Chihade International supplies American food products to importers and foodservice distributors in Colombia, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in Colombia.

Why Colombia

Colombia took $4.5 billion of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, up 21%, making it the sixth-largest U.S. agricultural market in the world. Retail food is worth $54 billion, foodservice $17 billion and food processing $13 billion.

The channel mix rewards a distributor with breadth: traditional mom-and-pop stores hold 47% of grocery retail, hard discounters 18% — up from 8% in 2019 and the fastest-growing format — specialists 13%, supermarkets 9% and hypermarkets 8%.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in Colombia — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• Spanish-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

Two agencies share responsibility. INVIMA, under the Ministry of Health, handles processed foods, sanitary registration, labelling and port inspection. ICA, under Agriculture, covers animal and plant health and import permits. INVIMA’s InvimAgil platform, live since May 2025, has cut approval times substantially.

Under the U.S.–Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, in force since 2012, more than 80% of U.S. exports entered duty free immediately. Note that the phase-out is not complete — residual tariffs run to 2030 on some lines, with chicken to 2029 and rice to 2031.

Labelling is in Spanish and carries a significant compliance item: black octagonal seals reading “EXCESO EN” for sugars, sodium, saturated fats or trans fats, plus a sweetener declaration where applicable, each carrying the Ministry of Health wordmark. Alternative shapes, fonts or wording are expressly prohibited and penalties are substantial. We apply compliant artwork in Georgia.

Sanitary registration is required. Usefully, the registration may be held either by the foreign producer or the local importer — holding it yourself lets you change importers by modification rather than starting again, which is worth thinking about before you sign anything.

Cartagena is the main Caribbean container gateway and Buenaventura the Pacific one; Bogotá El Dorado is the leading air cargo airport in Latin America.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in Colombia?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside Colombia. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Who should hold the sanitary registration?

In Colombia it can be either the foreign producer or the local importer — and that is a genuine strategic choice. If the producer holds it, changing distributor later is a modification rather than a fresh registration. We are happy to discuss which structure suits your programme.

Do we need the black warning seals?

If the product exceeds the thresholds for sugars, sodium, saturated fats or trans fats, yes — and the design is prescribed exactly, with alternative shapes, fonts or wording prohibited. We apply compliant artwork in Georgia before shipment.

Is everything duty free under the trade agreement?

Most things, but not everything. More than 80% of U.S. exports went duty free at entry into force in 2012, with residual lines phasing out to 2030 and rice to 2031. We confirm the position for your specific product codes.

How We Work With Partners in Colombia

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in Colombia.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Multi-language labelling for exported U.S. food  ·  Container consolidation for food importers  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in Colombia

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.