06 April 2011
As the United and Colombia apparently near agreement on a long-awaited free trade agreement, a significant dethroning has occured, according to WorldCity analysis of the most recent annual Census data.
For the first time since at least 1992, Miami is not Colombia’s most important gateway for U.S. trade – Houston is.
In the 1990s, more than 30 percent of all Colombia-U.S. trade shipped through South Florida. This past decade, it only happened three times, and not since 2004.
In 2010, Miami’s market share fell below 25 percent for only the second time since at least 1992. Houston's was 29.67 percent.
The $6.86 billion total with Miami in 2010 was nonetheless a record. The total for Houston was also a record, $8.22 billion, a 60.83 percent one-year gain. Miami's percentage gain was 21.27.
Colombia's trade with the United States totaled $27.69 billion, an increase of 33.29 percent over the 2009 total. It ranked No. 27 among all U.S. trade partners, unchanged from 2009.
Colombia is Miami's No. 2-ranked trade partner, It ranks No. 7 with Houston.
As for exports, in 2000, Miami was responsible for 46.66 percent of all U.S. exports to Colombia; Houston, 19.14 percent. In 2010, they were virtually even at roughly 34 percent each.
On the import side, Miami imported more gold than any other Customs district in 2010, and Colombia was the primary market.
Miami’s surplus with Colombia has exceeded $1 billion four straight years.
To see an interactive U.S. map that shows how all Customs districts trade with Colombia, click here.
To see an interactive map that shows how Miami trades with the world, country by country, click here.
To see an interactive map that shows how Houston trades with the world, click here.