Colombia Eases EU Market Access for Composite Food Products

By Castillo Grau Abogados

Colombian exporters of certain composite food products will face fewer sanitary procedures when entering the European Union after an adjustment to import requirements. The measure is expected to reduce duplication in certification processes and facilitate access for products using dairy ingredients.

Colombian companies exporting certain composite food products to the European Union will have an easier route to the market following an adjustment to EU sanitary requirements negotiated by Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. The change allows manufacturers to demonstrate, through certification issued by their suppliers, that certain dairy ingredients have already undergone the required heat treatment, eliminating the need to repeat the process in Colombia.

The measure applies, among other products, to goods such as biscuits made with ingredients including milk powder, butter or whey. Under the adjusted requirements, when those ingredients originate in a European Union member state or in the United States and meet the applicable sanitary conditions, Colombian exporters will be able to rely on documentation from the supplier confirming the treatment already carried out. They must also provide documentation establishing the origin of the ingredients before shipment.

The change addresses what Colombian authorities describe as a duplication of processes in the export chain. Previously, certain dairy ingredients that had already undergone the required treatment could be subject to an additional treatment process in Colombia before being incorporated into composite products destined for the European market. The revised approach allows exporters to demonstrate compliance through supplier certification instead, provided that the relevant sanitary and origin requirements are met.

The development is relevant to Colombia’s broader trade relationship with the European Union. The two sides have operated under a trade agreement since 2013 that covers not only trade in goods but also areas including services, public procurement and intellectual property. The European Union is one of Colombia’s principal international trading partners and an important destination for its non-mining and non-energy exports.

The sanitary adjustment does not remove the regulatory requirements applicable to Colombian products entering the European market. Rather, it changes how compliance with certain requirements can be demonstrated. Exporters must still meet the EU’s applicable sanitary conditions and provide documentation concerning the treatment and origin of the ingredients used in the final product.

The measure could be particularly relevant for food manufacturers seeking to expand exports of processed products rather than commodities. According to Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce, exports of Colombian composite products to the European Union have approached US$5 million, a figure the government cited as an indication of the market’s potential. The ministry said the simplification could allow companies to take advantage of that potential by reducing procedural duplication and facilitating access to European consumers.

For companies operating across borders, the development also illustrates the importance of regulatory compliance beyond tariffs and customs duties. Market access can depend on technical and sanitary requirements, documentation, certification and the ability to demonstrate compliance at different stages of the supply chain. In this case, the change does not eliminate those requirements but provides exporters with a different mechanism for demonstrating that specified processing requirements have already been fulfilled.