Colombian Cocoa Exports to the United States Triple in Nearly Two Years
Bogotá (Commodities Network) — Colombia's cocoa industry has achieved a remarkable milestone, with exports to the United States more than tripling in less than two years, underscoring the country's growing role as a supplier of premium cocoa and value-added chocolate products to one of the world's most demanding markets.
According to an analysis by the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Colombia), the United States has firmly established itself as the leading destination for Colombian cocoa exports, accounting for 37.1% of the sector's total export value.
Official data from Colombia's national statistics agency (DANE) show that cocoa and cocoa-derived exports reached a record US$413.1 million in 2025, compared with US$128.6 million in 2023. Exports to the United States alone exceeded US$153 million last year.
The strong performance reflects not only historically favorable international cocoa prices but also a significant expansion of Colombia's export capacity. In 2025, the country exported 49,044 metric tons of cocoa and cocoa products, representing a 16.4% increase from the previous year. Nearly 70% of exports consisted of processed and semi-processed products, including cocoa butter, liquor, paste, powder, coatings, and chocolate, highlighting Colombia's shift toward higher value-added exports.
"Colombian cocoa demonstrates that the trade relationship with the United States continues to create expanding opportunities for differentiated, value-added agricultural products," said María Claudia Lacouture, President of AmCham Colombia. "Today Colombia exports not only more cocoa, but also quality, innovation, and transformation to one of the world's most sophisticated markets."
Colombia's competitive advantage lies in the exceptional quality of its cocoa. Between 95% and 100% of the country's exported cocoa is classified as Fine Flavor Cocoa, a distinction awarded to only 5% to 8% of global cocoa production, positioning Colombia among the world's leading suppliers of premium cocoa.
Cocoa cultivation spans 30 of Colombia's 32 departments and provides livelihoods for more than 65,000 farming families, making the crop a strategic contributor to rural development and the diversification of the country's non-traditional exports.
United States Remains a Strategic Market
Beyond being Colombia's largest cocoa customer, the United States is also the world's third-largest importer of cocoa and cocoa products, representing a market valued at nearly US$90 billion.
Colombian exporters also benefit from the product's exemption from the U.S. 10% universal tariff, preserving preferential market access and strengthening the competitiveness of Colombian cocoa.
Lacouture noted that current market conditions provide an opportunity for more Colombian companies to expand their presence in the United States by increasing value-added processing, strengthening traceability systems, broadening the country's export base, and further positioning Colombian cocoa within premium market segments where quality remains the key competitive advantage.
Logistics Hub Drives Trade Growth
The rapid expansion of exports has also reshaped the logistics network through which Colombian cocoa enters the U.S. market.
In 2025, the top ten U.S. states accounted for 99% of Colombian cocoa imports, with New Jersey emerging as the dominant entry point. Imports through the state totaled US$105.3 million, representing approximately 60% of total U.S. imports of Colombian cocoa and accounting for nearly 70% of the overall export growth to the United States during the year.
Industry analysts attribute New Jersey's dominance not to local consumption alone but to the strategic importance of the Delaware River logistics corridor, which includes New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The corridor hosts much of the country's cocoa import infrastructure, storage facilities, grinding capacity, and several of the world's largest cocoa processors. Together, the corridor handled roughly 75% of Colombian cocoa entering the U.S. market in 2025.
Trade patterns are beginning to diversify, however. During the first four months of 2026, New Jersey remained the leading destination, while imports expanded significantly in Virginia (up 87%), New York (up 86%), and Pennsylvania (up 42%). California also increased imports by 41%, raising its share to 12% of total U.S. imports of Colombian cocoa.
The emergence of new destination states, including Ohio and Michigan, suggests that Colombian cocoa is reaching a broader distribution network across the United States, reducing dependence on a single logistics gateway.
According to AmCham Colombia, these trends reinforce cocoa's position as one of Colombia's most successful examples of non-mining export diversification into the U.S. market and highlight the long-term potential of bilateral trade to promote high-value agricultural products with premium quality and increasing sophistication.
By Diana Delgado
Source : Colombian-US chamber of commerce
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