In August 2002, it was announced that Canada and the Andean Community of Nations—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru—had agreed to begin preliminary discussions towards a free trade agreement (FTA).

Given that not all Andean Community countries were in a position to move forward on FTA negotiations at the same time, Canada worked toward FTAs with Colombia and Peru only as announced in June 2007.

[1] Canada and Colombia enjoy good commercial and investment relations as the presence of Canadian companies, particularly in the mining, oil exploration, and printing sectors, continues to grow.

Canadian merchandise exports to Colombia totalled $644 million in 2010; major exports include goods such as cereals (wheat, barley), machinery, vegetables (pulses such as lentils, peas, chickpeas), paper and paperboard, and vehicles.

Major imports consist of mineral fuels and oils, coffee, fruits, and sugar.