Between January and June 2026, Colombia exported 88,194 tons of Hass avocados worth more than US$168 million, according to data from the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN). The five main destinations were the Netherlands (the leading destination), the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and the United States.
Europe accounts for nearly 92% of the value of these exports. Among European markets, growth of 137% to Germany, 70% to the Netherlands, and 54% to Spain stands out, compared with the same period of the previous year.
The Netherlands Remains a Special Case
In contrast, the outlook for the United States is different and may be a cause for concern. Although that country has been one of the main destinations for Colombian Hass avocados, exports to that market fell by 85% in the first half of 2026. As a result, the United States dropped to fifth place among the most important destinations for this product.
In any case, the results for this product confirm its consolidation and growing importance within the national agricultural export basket. In fact, Colombian supply managed to diversify in 2026 with the opening of markets in Uruguay and Cuba, while health authorities and the private sector continue to manage the admissibility processes required to enter Brazil and Mexico.
The Netherlands remains a special case. In the first six months of 2026, Colombia sent this country 76% of everything it exported during 2025. Thus, the Netherlands alone receives around 60% of Colombia’s total exports.
“The country plays a strategic role. The product is received through the port of Rotterdam, which acts as a distribution hub so that the avocado can reach other countries around the world,” said Jan Willem van Bokhoven, executive director of Holland House, the Colombian-Dutch Chamber of Commerce, as quoted in a statement from the organization.
The relationship between Colombia and the Netherlands also extends beyond trade. Van Bokhoven explained that the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has developed cooperation initiatives related to this sector. “The emphasis is on improving the sustainability, productivity, and international competitiveness of Colombian Hass avocados. This year we will be present at Territorio Aguacate, where Colombian producers will be able to connect with innovative solutions,” he said.
Areas Cultivated with Hass Avocados in Colombia
The foreign market is supported by 39,474 hectares planted with Hass avocados in Colombia, registered with the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), representing growth of 6% compared with 2025.
The geographical concentration of these crops is led by the department of Antioquia, with 14,258 hectares, followed by Caldas, with 9,495; Valle del Cauca (5,753); Quindio (3,221); Risaralda (2,172); and Tolima (2,110).
The Hass avocado supply chain supports more than 82,000 direct jobs associated with farm work, harvesting, post-harvest activities, packing plants, and logistics, directly and indirectly benefiting between 235,000 and 240,000 people in the country’s rural areas.
At the beginning of this year, the National Association of Foreign Trade (ANALDEX) anticipated that, although Colombian agriculture had played a leading role in 2025, the outlook for 2026 presented challenges associated with external factors such as potential tariff adjustments, geopolitical tensions, and climate variations that could affect production and logistics.
In this context, the trade association continued to emphasize the need to consolidate market diversification and strengthen the sector’s competitiveness.
“Avocados have become an example of how the Colombian countryside can gain ground in demanding markets,” said Javier Diaz Molina, then president of ANALDEX. “The challenge now is to sustain that growth through greater added value, diversification, and stability in the rules governing international trade.”
He added that “the figures show that when producers, exporters, and authorities work together, results follow. We must continue working on sanitary access, infrastructure, and trade facilitation so that 2026 not only maintains these results but surpasses them.”
Clarify the Netherlands export percentagesResolve the Europe share wording