COLOMBIA · TRADE
Key Facts
- —Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What is happening Colombia’s cattle federation says Colombian beef still cannot enter the US market, even as American imports rise.
- —Why it matters The US is buying more foreign beef, but Colombia is not among the suppliers filling that demand.
- —The numbers US beef imports rose about 14% to 4.36 billion pounds in the first eight months of 2026.
- —Who is who Fedegán is Colombia’s cattle federation; its president, José Félix Lafaurie, leads the push for US access.
- —What to watch Whether Colombia and the US agree sanitary terms for beef in their ongoing trade talks.
- —What it means for you No Colombian beef is heading to US shelves soon; American beef prices depend on other suppliers.
Colombia beef still cannot be sold in the United States, even as the US buys more from abroad. The head of Colombia’s cattle federation says missing US sanitary clearance is the reason.
The United States is buying more foreign beef in 2026, but Colombian ranchers cannot join in. José Félix Lafaurie, president of Fedegán, Colombia’s national cattle federation, says Colombia still lacks US sanitary clearance.
That clearance, which US agriculture authorities grant country by country, is what lets foreign beef cross the border. Without it, Colombia has not captured US demand despite its closeness and a free trade agreement in force.
Why US Beef Imports Are Rising
On Friday, 16 October, the US Department of Agriculture forecast 2026 beef imports of 6.35 billion pounds (about 2.9 million tons). That is nearly 18% more than in 2025, its Economic Research Service says.
Imports from January to August reached 4.36 billion pounds (about 1.98 million metric tons), up 14% on the same months of 2025. Australia supplied about 23% of that total, followed by Brazil, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand.
On Wednesday, 26 August, a presidential proclamation opened an extra 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings to lower-duty imports. Trimmings are leftover lean meat used mainly in ground beef, and the White House says the aim is lower prices.
The extra volume comes in three tranches of 100,000 tons each, filled first come, first served. The last opened on Saturday, 31 October, and closes when filled or on Monday, 30 November.
The proclamation does not name Colombia, and the volume goes to what it calls other countries or areas. It leaves untouched a separate 80,000-ton increase for Argentina set in February.
Why Colombia Is Left Out
Lafaurie says Colombia lacks “sanitary admissibility,” the formal US go-ahead a country needs before shipping beef. Fedegán is now trying to put that clearance on the agenda of trade talks between Bogotá and Washington.
He names Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Uruguay and Argentina as rivals already competing for the US market. Colombia, he says, has not captured that demand even though it is a neighbour in the hemisphere.
Lafaurie argues that exporting cannot be an occasional way to place surpluses, and that market doors do not open on their own. He wants one public policy tying together the ICA (the farm health agency), Invima (the food-safety regulator), meatpackers and ranchers.
He lists traceability, meaning the ability to track each animal, and stronger sanitary controls as pending tasks. He also urges new Asian and Middle Eastern markets, noting China imports about a third of the beef it eats.
Key Terms in Plain English
- Fedegán: Colombia’s national cattle ranchers’ federation, which lobbies for the industry.
- Sanitary admissibility: the formal US approval a country needs before its beef can be sold there.
- Lean beef trimmings: leftover lean meat that goes mainly into ground beef.
- Tariff-rate quota: a set volume that enters at a lower duty, while shipments above it pay more.
What It Means for You
No Colombian beef will reach US shelves soon, so American beef prices depend on other suppliers. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand together supplied about 81% of US imports through August.
For investors, this is a market-access story, and the sources checked name no company. A US clearance for Colombian beef would be one sign of progress in US-Colombia trade talks.
Related Rio Times reports are Colombia Targets December Deal on US Tariff and Colombia Loses Nearly 10,000 Cattle to Drought. More is on the Colombia hub.
What Is Not Known
The sources checked do not say which US requirement Colombia has yet to meet. The US agriculture department’s October outlook does not mention Colombia.
No date for a US decision on Colombian beef has been published. Whether beef is in the formal trade-talk text rests on Fedegán’s statement alone.
Lafaurie says President Donald Trump asked for 300,000 extra tons for November. The proclamation of 26 August spreads that volume over September to November and does not name Colombia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Colombia sell beef in the United States?
Not yet. Fedegán says Colombia still lacks the US sanitary clearance needed to export beef there.
Why is the US importing more beef?
The US Department of Agriculture forecasts 2026 beef imports near 6.35 billion pounds, nearly 18% above 2025. A presidential proclamation also opened 300,000 extra metric tons of lean trimmings to lower-duty imports.
Does the 300,000-ton quota include Colombia?
The proclamation of 26 August does not name Colombia. The volume goes to other countries or areas, first come, first served.
Who is Fedegán?
Fedegán is Colombia’s national cattle federation. Its president, José Félix Lafaurie, is pressing for US market access.
Sources: White House, proclamation “Further Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer,” 26 August 2026; US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook (LDP-M-388), 16 October 2026; Fedegán, statements by president José Félix Lafaurie, 1 November 2026 (accessed 2 November 2026).
In depth
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