Our latest subsidiary: Colombia
Colombia is located at the northern corner of South America, exactly in the geographical center of North and South America. It is very diverse and contains almost all landscapes of the world: jungle, desert, flat land, mountains, glaciers and Caribbean beaches.
What makes Colombia special is that it has access to the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. In both oceans the country has a good port infrastructure. The most important ports are Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta in the Caribbean and Buenaventura on the Pacific coast. Immediately nearby is the Panama Canal, the region's most relevant trade route.
Colombia has nearly 50 million inhabitants, making it the second largest population in South America after Brazil. About 13 million people live in the region of the capital Bogotá in the interior. Colombia has an area of around 1,100,000 km², making it more than three times the size of Germany, for example.
The Andes, which stretch south along the west coast of South America, begin in Colombia. But not only the Andes have a huge diversity of animals and plants. After Brazil, Colombia is the country with the most species in the world.
Its wealth of resources, the multitude of trade routes and a high labor force potential have made Colombia the fourth largest economy in Latin America. The economy lives mainly from the energy sector (oil, natural gas), mining (e.g. hard coal, emeralds) and agriculture (coffee, bananas, cut flowers, sugar cane, cocoa...). Increasingly important is the service sector, especially through tourism.
Colombia has been a stable democracy for several decades. Strong executive, legislative and judicial institutions with a high degree of legitimacy cement the rule of law. Checks and balances function.
Colombia has a competitive economy that actively promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. Along with Mexico and Chile, it is the third OECD member in Latin America since 2020. Colombia has the most free trade zones in all of Latin America: more than 150 throughout the country, with more than 50 in Bogotá alone. The government invests large sums in infrastructure projects, for example, good roads, ports, airports, 4- and 5G mobile communications, and environmentally friendly energy generation plants using sun, wind, and water.
The country is characterized by a relatively low barrier to foreign investment (Top 30 FDI destination country worldwide) and offers many tax incentives for international investors. There is a large service and technology industry in the four main cities of Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla. Many international companies operate their international trade base in Colombia. El Dorado in Bogotá is the largest cargo airport in Latin America.
For companies, Colombia offers good access to (highly) skilled labor. Compared to other countries with similar working conditions and academic levels of employees, wages are relatively low.
For you on site in Bogotá: CREMER Colombia
With its permanent presence in Colombia, CREMER OLEO facilitates access to the Latin American market for its customers and business partners. The team around Roberto Echeverría (2nd from left) coordinates all activities on the continent.
Email to the CREMER Colombia team