Colombia arrives in Japan for the first time with its main internationalization initiative: ProColombia's International Business Matchmaking Forum at the Expo Hall of Expo Osaka 2025, one of the world's most important business and promotion platforms.
OSAKA, Japan, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The event brings together more than 200 participants, including exporters, buyers, and investors, positioning Asia as a key destination for Colombia's non-mining exports and as a source of foreign direct investment.
PROCOLOMBIA_Carmen_Caballero
A total of 450 business meetings will be held, featuring 62 Colombian exporters from the Agri-food, Fashion, Metalworking, 4.0 Industries, and Chemicals & Life Sciences sectors, representing 18 regions across the country.
"This is a landmark step in President Gustavo Petro's strategy to diversify the economy, as it allows us to showcase the quality of our products and strengthen Colombia as a trading partner for Asia," said Diana Marcela Morales, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism.
"This event reaffirms our commitment to bringing regional products to international platforms, diversifying markets, attracting investment, and consolidating Colombia as a reliable and competitive supplier," said Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia, the promotion agency of the country.
Japan leads the international delegation with 39 buyers, followed by South Korea (10) and China (9). In addition, 11 investors from Japan, China, and South Korea will also participate.
This business matchmaking forum opens new opportunities for Colombian entrepreneurs and highlights the country's presence at Expo Osaka 2025, where Colombia's pavilion invites visitors on a journey guided by water as a symbol of life—featuring settings inspired by snow-capped peaks, the atmosphere of Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel García Márquez), and the country's six tourism regions.
Japan and Colombia in Numbers
In 2024, Colombia's non-mining exports to Japan totaled USD $293.4 million, up 3.3% compared to 2023. The main exports were green coffee, fresh flowers, coffee derivatives, fungicides, and electrical devices. By January 2025, exports to Japan reached USD $28.4 million, a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Between 2000 and 2024, Japanese investment in Colombia totaled USD $766.9 million. Japan is currently Colombia's third-largest Asian investor, after China and India, with more than 45 Japanese companies established in the country.
