Colombian economy

1,000 Biggest Antioquia Companies Account for 80% of Exports

Medellin Herald October 21, 2015

A new study by the Chamber of Commerce of Medellin for Antioquia (CCMA) shows that the biggest 1,030 companies in Antioquia account for 80% of the department’s exports, worth more than US$4 billion annually. These enterprises also represent 52% of Antioquia’s net annual investment in companies,

Real Estate

Safest Real-Estate Investments in Metro Medellin: Part One

Medellin Herald October 20, 2015

Foreigners exploring metro Medellin to buy a residence, a commercial property or a rental will find that the safest, lowest-risk approach is to acquire an existing apartment, an existing house, an existing building or a well-defined lot inside a fully permitted “parcelacion.” Another option is to invest in new-build projects that are fully permitted, adequately […]

Real Estate

Safest Real-Estate Investments in Metro Medellin: Part Two

Medellin Herald October 20, 2015

Relatively safe investment options for real estate in Medellin include not only existing houses, apartments and commercial real estate, but also well-defined lots inside fully permitted “parcelacion” gated communities. The “oriente” region (east of Medellin) is seeing an especially strong growth in such “parcelaciones,” with the bulk of buyers represented by those selling

Professional services

Brokerages Offer Flexible Alternative to Banks for Colombia Money Transfers

Medellin Herald October 14, 2015

While a growing number of foreigners are investing in real estate or other types of businesses in metro Medellin, some have found that the process of transferring relatively large amounts of investment funds from the U.S. or other countries can be frustratingly complex, time-consuming – and even costly. Full disclosure: Ten years ago, my Colombian […]

Colombian economy

USAID, NGO Team-up on Helping Colombia’s Small Farmers

Medellin Herald October 7, 2015

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and non-governmental organization (NGO) “Acumen” jointly announced October 5 the launch of an “Investing for Peace” initiative that aims to help promote private investment and creation of economic opportunities in poorer, rural areas of Colombia. The fund will have an initial capital of US$4 million and will be […]

Colombian economy

Good News, Bad News on Mining in Colombia, Antioquia This Month

Medellin Herald October 7, 2015

First, the good news: The Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and Swiss watch and jewelry maker Chopard announced October 7 that several more mines in Colombia — beyond those in Antioquia — just obtained “Fairmined” certification under a joint ARM-Chopard project. “As part of their long-term CSR [corporate social responsibility] strategy, called ‘The

Colombian economy

Colombia Improving in World Economic Forum Competitiveness Index

Medellin Herald October 2, 2015

Colombia climbed five places – to 61st place — in the just-released World Economic Forum (WEF) “global competitiveness index 2015-2016.” The index ranked Switzerland number-one for “competitiveness,” followed (in order) by Singapore, the United States, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. According to

Real Estate

Real Estate in Metro Medellin: Clarifying the Picture

Medellin Herald September 21, 2015

Buying and selling real estate in metro Medellin can be a confusing and uncertain experience for foreigners, given the many legal, business, cultural and processing differences in Colombia versus the practices found in other countries. For that reason, Medellin Herald consulted with Luis H. Londoño — one of metro Medellin’s most-experienced real estate

Colombian economy

Andi: ‘Global Value Chain’ Opportunities Opening for Colombia: Part One

Medellin Herald September 15, 2015

Colombia’s economy still suffers a hangover as the oil-and-mining boom of the prior six years has predictably turned to bust, according to a new study for Medellin-based Andi, Colombia’s national industrial trade association. But a falling Colombia peso (COP) versus the surging U.S. dollar – combined with the possible emergence of a smarter, strategic tax-and-regulatory

Colombian economy

Brookings: Medellin Best in Latin America for Economic Growth

Medellin Herald September 1, 2015

A new study by the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution found that Medellin surpassed all other Latin American cities in terms of per-capita economic growth  (gross domestic product, or GDP). “Medellin was the highest-performing Latin American metro area in 2014” and 12th overall in the Asia-Pacific region area studied, which includes Colombia, according to