The economy and FX market of Colombia: general info

Colombia is a developing state of agro-industrial type with middle and high income, highlighted on the international stage by the significant economic growth it has experienced over the past decade. The country is the fourth-largest economy in Latin America after Brazil, Mexico and Argentina which makes it an important player in the region.

Colombia is world-famous for its coffee, flower, emerald, coal and oil exports. This South American country is the third-largest exporter of coffee after Brazil and Vietnam, and its main importers are Europe, the USA and Japan. At the same time, more than a decade ago, oil production began at a rapid pace, at a rate that today produces 930,000 barrels of fuel per day. And Colombia is looking for ways to increase production through the development of new areas. Thus, the country is the fourth-largest producer of fuel raw materials in Latin America after Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil.

While coffee and oil are the backbone of the Colombian economy, there are other industries such as emerald mining and floriculture that have an important place in the country’s economic arena. Among other things, agriculture, the automotive and textile industries, gold mining, coal and natural gas are also highlighted.

In terms of GDP, Colombia is classified as a developing country. It falls into this category because it has the lowest external debt in the region and enjoys privileged access to international capital markets. As well as with the development of e-technologies and universal access to the Internet, residents enjoy access to Forex trading.

Forex market and regulation in Colombia

Today Forex is one of the most profitable trading areas in Colombia. This market – the most liquid at present – offers favorable conditions for buying and selling different assets due to highly developed platforms and apps. But above all, it allows working at the most competitive prices on commodities, currency pairs, stocks, Cryptos and CFDs. That’s why millions of traders around the world and especially in Colombia choose Forex to get the most profit.

Colombian law allows you to work in the Forex market as it is a completely legal activity. The Superintendency of Corporations in Colombia is responsible for regulating foreign exchange or Forex trading in the country.

Many reputable brokers regulated by international or national organizations recognized worldwide in financial markets such as FCA (UK), BaFin (Germany), NFA, CFTC (USA) and CySEC (Cyprus) accept clients from Colombia and often provide more favorable trading conditions than brokers based in the country.

If you are just a beginning trader and are looking for a guide or a better strategy, or looking for an opportunity to earn passive income, then Social Trading is a right thing for you. It is one of the easiest ways to take advantage of the expertise of other traders, making money by simply automatically copying professionals. Besides, brokers give various Forex bonuses up to $5000, and you can test your trading strategies without spending your own money.

Popular trading instruments in Colombia

As already mentioned, Colombia is a promising financial market and Forex trading is rapidly gaining popularity due to universal accessibility and the desire of residents to quit manual labor and dive into the field of online earnings. Accordingly, the more trading tools a Forex broker offers for deals, the more opportunities and choices traders have. The country has rather soft legislation, which allows trading in almost all financial instruments including Cryptos and Binary options. Let’s look into some of the most popular ones in detail:

Currency pairs trading in Colombia

The current currency of the Republic of Colombia is the Colombian peso (COP). COP can be traded against popular currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP, and JPY. Such currency pairs are very important for Colombia because they allow withdrawing pesos directly to the Forex currency market, after which traders can already exchange them for other profitable, partially convertible or simply exotic currencies, such as BTN/COP, XCD/COP, MMK/COP, DJF/COP, VUV/COP, and NGN/COP.

What is very interesting is that there is no need to trade only in Colombian pesos because you are in Colombia, but you can do it in various currency pairs that exist in the world. Traders can choose from major currencies such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY and dozens of minor combinations as well.

XM Group offers over 50 currency pairs that include Majors, Minors, and Exotics to choose from. In addition to currency pairs, the broker allows you to trade more than 1000 trading instruments including CFDs, commodities, indices, precious metals, energies, and stocks on four types of accounts with negative balance protection, good leverage, and tight spreads: Micro, Standard, XM Ultra Low, Shares. Besides, there is a special one – a demo account where traders can practice their skills and knowledge.

The broker offers users not only convenient web platforms but also a universal XM mobile app, as well as the VPS service with which the user receives his own separate IP address and continuously functioning support in 24/7 mode. All it takes is to download the app and go into deals.

Commodities trading in Colombia

Colombia is a country rich in natural resources and minerals. In the bowels of Colombia there are: oil, coal, nickel, lead, mercury, gold, silver, platinum, emeralds, and other precious stones. As for oil, Colombia is close to the world’s TOP-20 oil producers. The country supplies most of its oil to foreign markets. In addition, Colombia is the third-largest coffee-exporting country in the world. As well as it is the world center for the production of emeralds. In different years, this country accounts for from 50 to 95% of world production. Not surprisingly, trading in these commodities is popular in Colombia not only in the usual way but also in the Forex market. 

Forex made it available for trading commodities, including those not related to physical deliveries: now you can choose any asset without the need to deliver or receive it.

Brokers provide great opportunities and favorable conditions, all you have to do is open an account with the broker and start trading.

HF Markets – recently has been known as HotForex – is an international reliable broker that offers a variety of trading instruments, including currency pairs, metals, deposits, stocks, Cryptocurrency, and many others. In particular, HF Markets provides low transaction costs and flexible leverage on Forex Gold trading. You can find more information about this trading instrument in our article.

The broker officially works and accepts clients from Colombia, as it is regulated by such bodies as CySEC and the FCA (Europe), the FSCA (South Africa), the DIFC (Dubai), and FSA.

For your convenience, you can use the mobile app in conjunction with the HF MT4/MT5 desktop and web platforms. This will allow you as a trader to keep abreast of global financial events and will make your trading convenient and accessible from anywhere.

Another nice part to mention both for new and experienced traders is that HF Markets created an HFcopy – Copy Trading feature where anyone can join as a follower or as a pro trading strategy provider.

Stocks trading in Colombia

The Colombian Stock Exchange BVC was founded in 2001, but by 2010 it managed to reach a market capitalization of US$200 billion. The creation of the exchange was due to the merger of several stock exchanges located in Medellin, Bogota and Occidente. Stocks and bonds of about 70 companies are listed on the BVC exchange.

To start trading Colombian stocks, all you need to do is open an account with a trusted broker and start deals.

NAGA Markets is one of the top-rated brokers that provides access to different asset classes for trading: stocks, Forex, ETFs, futures, commodities, and metals. Several options for trading platforms are offered for trading: MetaTrader of both versions (4 and 5), the author’s platform NAGA Webtrader. All platforms support mobile versions. 

It is also a social investing network where clients of all experience levels can trade, share and copy investments on over 950+ trading instruments. The broker has very competitive trading conditions, including tight spreads, low commissions, rapid trade execution speeds, and a variety of flexible account funding options.

NAGA aims to make trading simple and accessible for everyone. To make investment services available to clients in different jurisdictions, NAGA complies with multiple authoritative regulations around the world such as FCA, CySEC, MiFID II, and MiFIR.

Indies trading in Colombia

Another popular instrument in Colombia is index trading and the reason for the demand lies in diversification. The buyer of the index immediately acquires parts of the shares of tens and hundreds of enterprises. This gives traders the opportunity to get as much profit as possible with maximum risk diversification because there is no need to give preference to one company or currency. In addition, stock index rates are smoother, unlike other trading instruments, but still volatile.

Currently, the Colombian Stock Exchange has the flagship Colcap index and a family of Coleqty-derived variable income indices, such as Colsc and Colir. Colcap reflects the price fluctuations of the 20 most liquid BVC stocks. Coleqty is comprised of the 40 most liquid and best-traded shares on the BVC. For its part, Colsc holds 15 low market capitalization Coleqty shares.

Plus500 has many indices to choose from. Besides, the broker has a wide range of instruments including currency pairs, commodities, stocks and CFDs that you can trade on state-of-the-art trading platforms. Users can choose a web-based platform. But the Plus500 trading platforms are not only available in a web browser. Clients who want to trade from their smartphones or other mobile devices can use the mobile app. The Plus500 platform is available on Android, iOS, and Windows.

The broker is widely known and recognized all over the world. Users’ trust is fully justified, since it holds the license of the FCA, as well as of many international regulators, including CySEC, ASIC, and MAS.

If you are still new to CFD trading and are worried about possible losses, Plus500 has a demo account for you. This is one of the Plus500 account types that can really help you take your trading skills to the next level before opening a Live Plus500 account.

CFD trading in Colombia

There are many lucrative alternatives for investors who are not suited to traditional stock trading. One of the most attractive is CFD (Contract for Difference). The peculiarity of this tool is that it does not give the investor the right to own a specific asset selected for trading, but allows you to earn on price movements. Today, most well-known brokers work with CFDs, and many of them are even ready to offer platforms designed specifically for CFD trading.

CFDs are popular in Colombia for commodities and stocks. Most platforms that offer CFDs allow the trader to use leverage, with some brokers up to 1:1000. This means that traders can make significant profits with relatively small investments.

OANDA offers a lot of options for contracts compared to other brokers. The list of financial instruments consists of CFDs on indices, commodities, and bonds. The broker gives access to two types of trading platforms: fxTrode (Oanda’s personal development) and MetaTrader 4. Both of these platforms are available in three types: desktop, mobile, and Web.

In addition to CFDs, traders can choose from a variety of instruments such as Forex: more than 70 currency pairs; metals: Gold and Silver; commodities: Oil, Natural Gas, Copper, and Wheat; indices – 16 in total and Bonds.

The main regulator of the broker is the UK organization – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which opens the broker the opportunity to work in Colombia. Besides, the broker holds licenses by such authoritative regulations around the world as FSA, ASIC, and IIROC.

Globally, OANDA offers three account types: demo, Standard, and Advanced Trader, which makes the broker a fine fit for both new and seasoned trades. Moreover, it requires no minimum deposit to open an account with OANDA, but new traders who’ll top up their accounts get a welcome bonus of up to $1000.

Cryptocurrency trading in Colombia

In Latin America, especially Colombia, the adoption of Cryptocurrencies has increased significantly during 2021. The country consistently ranks second among the most active Crypto trading countries in Latin America. Cryptocurrency transactions for individuals are unlimited. Colombian law didn’t give a clear classification of this digital asset. According to Colombian law, Cryptocurrencies are also not classified as “money”. At the same time, there are hundreds of merchants and ATMs across the country for Bitcoin services. According to the Venezuelan newspaper “El Nacional”, there are 687 retailers in Colombia that support the use of Bitcoin. 

As far as taxation is concerned, Cryptocurrencies are not taxed as “money” in Colombia according to the country’s legal standards. Colombia’s tax model is similar to that of Spain. In Spain, Cryptocurrencies are taxed as assets.

In general, Colombian citizens are increasingly adopting Cryptos and regard them as a good investment. The legislation doesn’t prohibit the sale and purchase for individuals, opening up many opportunities for trading. Forex has greatly simplified and made Cryptocurrencies as accessible as possible for traders. Many international brokers provide services in the country, offering the purchase and sale of a wide variety of Cryptocurrencies, including the popular Bitcoin, with minimal commissions.

AvaTrade is a registered and regulated broker that complies with the most stringent regulatory requirements of organizations from various parts of the world, providing trading with a range of Crypto as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Dash, Litecoin, Bitcoin Gold, and EOS. In addition to Crypto, 1250 instruments are available to clients: stocks, securities, indices, commodities, currency pairs and CFDs.

All trading terminals of the AvaTrade broker are adapted to work both through desktop computers and for using mobile devices. AvaTrade also has a special offer for beginners – a wide range of terminals and various tools for automated trading such as Mirror Trader to copy trades of experienced traders around the world.

Top Binary options Brokers in Colombia

With the development of e-technologies and the increasing Internet coverage in Colombia, another type of income became available such as Binary options. Binary options as a trading asset allow almost everyone who wants to try their hand at online trading to earn money.  Its trading mechanism is not so complex and sets only one goal: to predict whether the price of an asset will go up or down. Mastering them takes relatively less time, and trading demands a device as simple as a mobile phone. Therefore, it is not surprising that Binary options are a fairly popular form of trading for newcomers.

In Colombia, as in many countries in South America, binary options are allowed. The country is in the top three countries in Latin America in terms of the popularity of binary options along with Mexico and Brazil. And given its many benefits, it is not surprising that the number of binary options brokers in this country is increasing every year.

We’ve listed the best binary options trading brokers that would let you as a Colombian trader to use this financial assert:

ExpertOption in Colombia

ExpertOption is one of the best binary options brokers worldwide and in Colombia as well. There are several account types available on the trading platform website depending on the deposit amount. In total, there are six: Micro, Basic, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Exclusive. Each account has individual terms and conditions. 

One of the many advantages of ExpertOption is the availability of a demo account without registration, which allows you to explore the platform before starting trading on a real account.  In addition to the desktop platform, traders have access to a mobile application for IOS and Android.

Expert Option is a good choice for beginners, who’d like to start trading with a simple, fast, and secure platform supporting different payment systems. User-friendly trading tools and social trading features are there for you as well as the bonus for topping up your account in the first hour after registration.

Pro tip: if you top up your account within an hour after registration, you’ll get a 2x bonus!

IQ Option in Colombia

IQ Option is another popular Binary broker in Colombia. The company has licenses from the FFMS and CySec, which allows it to conduct brokerage activities throughout the world.

This broker offers a vast asset menu that includes Forex pairs, commodities, ETFs, binary options, and equity and Cryptocurrency CFDs. IQ Option has an excellent customer support and exceptional 24/7 international service in multiple languages. This ensures that they can communicate comfortably with all of their customers.

Besides, the company gives each registered user a demo account where they can practice trading skills, test strategies, and get used to the trading platform without the need to make a deposit.

Top Forex brokers in Colombia

What makes the best Forex brokers stand out? There are several criteria to consider, namely its reputation among traders, safety and reliability, service life, regulations, the convenience of payment systems, the trading platform used, etc. A good broker should have licenses from top regulators, provide different types of accounts with minimal commissions and a wide range of instruments, as well as various tools such as Copy trading and bonuses for his clients.

Offering the best conditions and security, here is a list of the best Forex brokers in Colombia:

Plus500 in Colombia

Plus500 is one of the most user-friendly CFD trading platforms with advanced features and plenty of risk management tools. It offers a wide choice of CFD trade instruments, a trading guide, and all the mechanisms to make trading more effective and secure.

Plus500 has been on the market since 2008. The company has been able to build a reputation as a reliable broker that is worthy of the trust of its clients. It is controlled by ASIC, FCA, CySEC, MAS, and other global reputable global regulators.

If you are still new to CFD trading and are wary of possible losses, Plus500 has an option for you. You can use Plus500’s very detailed trading guide and open a demo account. This will give you the opportunity to practice, test your trading strategies and gain the necessary experience in real market conditions, while completely risk-free, as you cannot lose real money.

OANDA in Colombia

OANDA is a well-known broker for traders all over the world. The broker offers trading in over 100 instruments including currency pairs, indices, commodities, bonds, and metals. There are 9 base currencies available in the company: EUR, GBP, CHF, USD, CAD, AUD, JPY, HKD, and SGD.

The main regulator of the broker is the UK organization – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Besides, brokers hold licenses by such authoritative regulations around the world as FSA, ASIC, and IIROC.

Globally, OANDA offers three account types: demo, Standard, and Advanced Trader, which makes the broker a fine fit for both new and seasoned trades. 

Having a mobile app for a company is a huge advantage. The unique software package allows you to trade in the financial market using a smartphone and tablet running on iOS and Android.

XM Group in Colombia

XM Group is a popular Forex broker in Colombia with over 1000 trading instruments that can be traded on the MT4/MT5 platforms. The broker also offers a convenient mobile app where you can trade on international markets with a single login on a demo or live account. In the app, users of the MT5 platform can manage their accounts and trade all the instruments offered by XM.

Broker has received international recognition and the trust of millions of users, having obtained licenses from such regulators as ASIC, CySEC, IFSC, and DFSA.

Clients can choose the most profitable trading account on unique terms with negative balance protection, good leverage, and tight spreads: Micro, Standard, XM Ultra Low, and Shares.

In addition, XM Broker offers a variety of bonuses: a 100% entry bonus up to $5000, client referral, and occasional bonuses.

NAGA Markets in Colombia

NAGA Markets is a fully licensed and regulated broker with over 950 trading instruments and assets. Its clients can trade commodities, Crypto assets, and Forex, and make deals on the markets of futures, precious metals, ETFs, and indices. There is also available CFD trading.

Brokers provide users with trading with minimal risk, even if they are new to trading. NAGA has made this possible with a special automatic Copying feature. NAGA AutoCopy is an innovative tool that allows you to automatically follow the top traders on the platform and learn from their experiences.

HF Markets in Colombia

HF Markets – before rebranding known as HotForex – is an award-winning Forex Broker that provides trading services and facilities to both retail and institutional clients, preferred by traders from all over the world as it has a policy of providing the best trading conditions and customer experience.

HF Markets offers a powerful solution to trade CFDs and Forex, also with costs built into the tight spread. Being a fully regulated broker in various jurisdictions, HF Markets maintains safe trading capabilities and delivers various solutions including Zero Spread trading, Islamic Accounts, and cumulative Forex bonuses up to $500000 including bonuses on initial deposits, cash rebates, supercharged bonuses, etc.

HF Markets also offers Gold trading with low transaction costs and flexible leverage.

AvaTrade in Colombia

AvaTrade is an online Forex and CFD broker. It specializes in trading in Bitcoin, commodities, stocks, exchange-traded instruments (ETFs), bonds, and market indices. Broker is regulated by six financial authorities, including ASIC, FCA, and CySEC.

The advantages of the company include the absence of commissions, fixed tight spreads, as well as the availability to open a free demo account, through which you can test your strength in trading and try out the possibilities of your strategies.

In addition to web platforms with AvaTrade, you can also use a mobile app. If you want to have access to more than 1250 assets, and 24/7 multilingual support all over the globe, then AvaTrade may be your choice.

By registering and verifying an account with several top brokers in Colombia, you can not only compare different trading platforms to find the most suitable one but also maximize the Forex bonuses you receive. Moreover, you can also trade on your own with some brokers while using the Copy Trading feature with others. It will inspire you to keep trading and improve your chances of earning some passive income.