Colombia bolsters global presence through campaigns and trade agreements

BOGOTA, Colombia: Despite Covid-19 and the challenging business environment, Asocolflores, the marketing arm of Colombia’s floricultural industry, says it continues to expand its global network.

Colombia grows a plenty of flower varieties that are sought by flower importers from not only the USA, but also from Japan, Korea and China.

To maintain long-term relationships and promote Colombian flowers in the three countries last mentioned, the Colombian flower industry has created a marketing strategy to market their flowers in ‘different strategic sites’.

With the support of Asocolflores, Procolombia and the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Flowers of Colombia campaigns will be rolled out in Japan, Korea, and China to strengthen ties with importers, florists, supermarkets, and other flower distributors in those markets.

Trade agreements offer another way to bolster global market presence. Tuesday 27 October 2020, for example, saw the ratification of the Commercial Agreement with the United Kingdom, which seeks to maintain the conditions previously agreed between Colombia and the European Union in 2013.

Owing to the great importance of the British market for Colombian floriculture, Asocolflores played an active role in the ensuring the ratification of the agreement with the Colombian congress. The association took advantage of opportunities for public comment and lobbied politicians of both parties with clear arguments in support of the agreement.

This was not an easy task: to achieve ratification, it was necessary to circumvent various political actors who openly opposed free trade agreements. Asocolflores also advocated for the agreement in conjunction with the Commerce Ministry, which led the push from the government side.

Ultimately, the Commercial Agreement with the United Kingdom won approval from a wide majority in congress. It will now proceed to President Iván Duque for his signature.

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