Non-traditional Colombian exports to the United States have grown 70% since a free trade agreement between the two countries went into effect since May 15, reported Caracol Radio Friday.
Colombia’s Czar of International Agreements, Hernando Jose Gomez, said the sale of domestic products that were not previously sold in large quantities to the U.S. grew from $270 million to $470 million since May, rising at steady increments of roughly $100 million per month.
Gomez noted that the sale of traditionally successful national products such as carbon, petroleum, gold, banana coffee and flowers, were excluded from the balance sheet.
According to Gomez, this is primarily due to a recovery in exports of footwear, apparel, metalworking, cosmetics and toiletries among others.
He added that it is too early to say whether this level of growth will be maintained and that the analysts should wait two more months for exports to stabilize.
The official’s report comes days after President Santos claimed all exports to the U.S. has increased by 47%. Colombia is now the seventh-largest provider of agricultural products to the U.S., he reported, noting, “In two months with the TLC we have exported the same amount of milk to the U.S. that we did in a year without the TLC.”