A new ProColombia report highlighted that exports of knowledge-based services, those that focus their business model on the intensive use of high technology and/or specialized human capital, reported an increase of 43% compared to the figures for 2020.
(Colombian exports grew 32.7% in 2021).
In this way, US$808.6 million were exported from 26 cities in Colombia to 85 markets.
According to the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Ximena Lombanathe BPO sector grew 17% and registered US$353.4 million, followed by software and IT services with US$218.8 million and an increase of 33%, and audiovisual production, with an increase of 330% and US$183.6 millions.
Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla were the cities that led these external sales, while the main buyers were the United States, Uruguay, Spain, Panama and Chile.
(Scarcity of IT talent in Colombia, a business challenge).
“Without a doubt, the pandemic accelerated the global demand for services and there Colombia was able to make an important leap from reactivation to growth. Our strategy for this year is to accompany the companies in the sector in the main fairs and events worldwide, together with training work in alliance with the main unions, so that we have an increasingly important export business fabric”, said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.
On the other hand, this entity pointed out that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) indicated that during the third quarter of 2021, world trade in services showed “a growing momentum” and stood at about US$1.5 billion, although it is still below the levels prior to the arrival of the coronavirus.
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