The fashion industry in Colombia has experienced strong growth over the past decade, with annual market growth of 4.2% making it the third largest fashion market in South America. Colombia has established free trade agreements with major markets like the US and Europe, as well as preferential access to over 1.5 billion consumers worldwide through its strategic geographic location and trade deals. Major international companies have invested in Colombia to take advantage of its competitive production costs and logistics network, helping to establish the country as a major fashion producer and exporter in the Americas.

1. FASHION INDUSTRY
Libertad y Orden
GROWTH, CONFIDENCE AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST

2. A priority sector for the country, driven by the Productive
Transformation Program, a public-private alliance working to
strengthen the Colombian Fashion Industry as a world-class sector.
Throughout the last decade, the Colombian Fashion Industry
market achieved a compound annual growth rate of 4.2%, with
a market value of US $8.690 Billion in 2014, making it the third
most prominent country in the region, after Argentina and
Brazil. Euromonitor International, 2014.
Growing demand for textiles: imports in this category increased
by 49% between 2010 and 2012, meeting the needs of the local
marketandexportablefinishedgoodsproductstomajorbusiness
partners: the United States, Mexico, and Ecuador.
DIAN (Direccion de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales de Colombia [The
National Directorate of Taxes and Customs]) 2013.
CONSOLIDATED SECTOR
WITH SIGNIFICANT
GROWTH

3. Thirteen free trade agreements offer tariff benefits and
stability for long-term investments.
Ten international investment agreements with Colombia.
Includes agreements for the reciprocal promotion and
protection of investments. Industry, Trade, and Tourism
Ministry, 2014.
COLOMBIA, A PRODUCTION CENTER
AND OUTSTANDING LOGISTICS
HUB IN THE AMERICAS
Colombia is competitively located, providing easy access to
globalmarketswithover700directinternationalflightseach
week and more than 4,900 domestic flights each week.
Potential for preferential access to more than 1.5 billion
consumers thanks to the country’s geographical location and
Free Trade Agreements with the countries of the Andean
Community, NAFTA, Mercosur, the United States, the
European Union, the Northern Triangle, and Canada.
Competitiveness in North American market access, at
logistical costs three times less, on average, than those
incurred from China.

4. In the past 10 years, the sector has reported dynamic growth
in exports at an annual rate of 8.4%, making the country third
in regional rankings, just behind Brazil and Peru, and ahead of
countries like Chile and Mexico.
TradeMap, 2013.
A network of companies with approximately 450 textile
manufacturers and 10,000 clothing production units.
INEXMODA, 2012.
Incentives associated with research and development such as
the income tax deduction of 175% of the value invested in R&D
and the VAT exemption for the import of equipment and items
for use in R&D centers.
Additionally, income received by companies to finance scientific,
technological, or innovation projects is non-taxable.
Dynamic internal market with a 4.2% rate of growth between
2004 and 2014 in the consumption of fashion items, for a total
of more than US$82.487 billion in household purchases in this
category.
Euromonitor International, 2014.
MANUFACTURERS

5. 2000-2014, MILLIONS OF USD
6,615
CAGR: 2004-2014: 4.2%
6,817
7,069
7,420 7,360 7,096 7,359
7,734
8,327
8,690
9,077
9,484
9,917
8,001
P: PROJECTED. Source: © Euromonitor International, 2014. Calculations: PROCOLOMBIA.
COLOMBIAN FASHION
NDUSTRY SALES

6. MAJOR FOREIGN COMPANIES CHOOSE
COLOMBIA AS A PLACE TO INVEST
Kaltex, Mexico: Purchased shareholdings in the
Colombian firm Coltejer.
Polymer Group, United States: Manufacturing plant in
the Pacific Free Trade Zone in Cali, Cauca Valley.
Parkdale Mills, United States: Operates in Colombia
with the company Colombiana de Hilados, with a
manufacturing plant in the Free Trade Zone of Rionegro
in Antioquia. Has capacity for carded open-end and
combed ring-spun.
Coats, United Kingdom: This company has operated in
Colombia for more than fifty years as Coats Cadena in the
city of Pereira, Risaralda.