Valle del Cauca
Colombia's Pacific gateway: Buenaventura handles 43% of foreign trade while Cali hosts 200+ foreign firms generating 21% of regional GDP.
The Cauca Valley's fertile floor grows sugarcane that supplies Colombia and exports to neighbors; the mountains above grow coffee that supplies the world. Between these altitudes lies Cali, the world salsa capital and Colombia's third-largest economy. But Valle del Cauca's true strategic asset is on the coast: Buenaventura, the nation's chief Pacific port, moving 43% of Colombia's foreign trade and exporting the bulk of its coffee through container terminals reaching 8.5 million tons annually.
Seven free trade zones make the department responsible for 30% of Colombia's free trade zone exports. Over 200 foreign companies now operate here, generating 34% of regional exports, 21% of GDP, and 5% of formal employment. Foreign investment reached $225 million in 2024. COP16 in Cali positioned the region as Colombia's biodiversity capital, opening opportunities in biotechnology and carbon-neutral business. The department leads national sales in snacks and confectionery ($1.5 billion) and sugar ($1.5 billion).
Valle del Cauca covers Colombia's 'Golden Triangle'—an area containing 66% of the national population and 75% of the domestic market. By 2026, the department will test whether its Pacific orientation can capture Asian investment looking for manufacturing platforms—or whether infrastructure gaps keep Buenaventura from competing with Panama's logistics dominance.