WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — McAuliffe and other state officials will hold more than 40 meetings with business and government leaders in the Colombian capital of Bogota, the statement noted.
"To help build the new Virginia economy, we must look for sales opportunities around the world for Virginia businesses, while also recruiting new investments to the Commonwealth," McAuliffe stated. "Missions like this one are critical to our efforts to spur new exports and economic development."
The two-day trip is intended to strengthen ties between Virginia and Colombia, recruit investors and find new markets for the state’s agriculture and forestry products.
Under the 2012 US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, 80 percent of US exports to Colombia became duty free immediately, with the remaining tariffs to be lifted by 2022.
Colombia is Virginia’s 15th largest consumer for agriculture and forestry products. In 2015, the state’s exports to Colombia reached a record $54.5 million, including exports of pork, grains and soybean meal.
