Colombian exporters said Tuesday that the Venezuela-Colombia diplomatic crisis will damage the formal market and that they will focus on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico as their export markets.
"We are working with the Trade Ministry and with Pro-export to develop trade missions to Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and we will also hold trade rounds with Europe," said Javier Diaz, president of Colombia's National External Foreign Trade Association.
Venezuela's land and agriculture minister, Elias Jaua, ordered Tuesday the closure of the Colombia-Venezuela border due to the crisis caused by Colombia's incursion into the territory of Ecuador.
"Venezuela is experiencing shortages of staple goods. This will damage both nations. We hope that institutions will work and that diplomacy will channel dialogue and conviviality between nations," he said.
Venezuelan officials have rejected a great amount of Colombian exports, saying that the country can import basic goods from elsewhere.
In 2007, Colombia sold about 4.6 billion U.S. dollars of goods to Venezuela and imported 1.37 billion of goods from it. Venezuelais Colombia's second largest trade partner after the United States.
Source:Xinhua
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