Venezuelan business group and ProColombia agree to boost bilateral trade

Venezuelan business leaders and their Colombian counterparts have forged a plan to revitalize economic exchange between the two South American nations. The Venezuelan Council of Commerce and Services (Consecomercio) and Colombia's ProColombia, a government entity, established a roadmap to invigorate bilateral trade following a virtual meeting.

The agreement aims to foster business integration and enhance the economic relationship. ProColombia identified opportunities in sectors such as retail, industry 4.0 (digital transformation in manufacturing), footwear, agriculture, chemicals, construction materials, and packaging. Consecomercio, in turn, highlighted potential in agroforestry, petrochemicals, and nanotechnology.

Beyond trade, both organizations discussed promoting tourism and explored the creation of new direct air routes between Venezuelan and Colombian cities. They also addressed the optimization of migratory policies. Joint working groups are planned, involving industry associations from both countries, to further regional integration.

This initiative comes as Colombia and Venezuela work to rebuild their economic ties. After a period of strained relations and a significant drop in trade, from $7 billion in 2008 to $222 million in 2022, commerce has seen a resurgence since diplomatic relations were restored in late 2022. In 2025, bilateral trade reached $1.17 billion, a 4.1% increase from the previous year.

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The meeting concluded with a commitment to establish a next meeting with the Colombian ambassador to Venezuela to formalize a bilateral work agenda of continuous impact.