COLOMBIA - In the first six months of 2019 Colombia exported wooden furniture for USD 20.07 million, a 31.3 percent growth compared to the first half (1H) of 2018 when exports reached USD 15.28 million.

The main markets for Colombian furniture in the 1H of 2019 were Panama and the United States.

Markets abroad for Colombian wooden furniture continues to grow and with a 22.4 percent share of the exported value, RTA Muebles leads the segment again. In the first half of 2019, this manufacturer from Valle del Cauca reached sales abroad for USD 4.5 million, an increase of 1.7 percent in its exports when compared to 1H-2018 (USD 4.42 million)

In second place was Muebles Jamar, which achieved an important export growth of 84.5% in 1H-2019 reaching USD 3.55 million, equivalent to 17.7 percent of the total exports of Colombian wooden furniture in the period.

Panama was the main destination of Colombian exports of wooden furniture in 1H-2019 registering USD 5.47 million, and with a significant improvement of 51.2 percent and shipments for USD 4.37 million (6M-2018: USD 2.89 million), the United States continued as the second largest foreign market for Colombian wooden furniture. Mexico was the third largest market and the fastest growing in 1H-2019 with USD 3.25 million.

The two main external markets, Panama and the U.S., accounted for 49 percent of the total exported in 1H-2019 compared to 46.3 percent that these two destinations represented in the same period of 2018.