Evolución reciente del endeudamiento externo de los bancos colombianos - Septiembre de 2026 (Academic research)

Summary

• The total external debt balance of the Colombian banking system stood at $11,827 million, showing a slight decrease of -$178 million (-1.5%) compared to the previous year.p.2
• Favorable perception among foreign creditors remains strong, with 'very willing' and 'willing' responses accounting for over 80% of total survey answers.p.2
• Short-term funding sources were predominantly concentrated in the United States, accounting for 63.6% of responses.p.4

Key insights

1. The foreign borrowing credit limit of Colombian banks rose by $478 million (2.0%) compared to the same month of the previous year.p.1
2. Survey respondents represented 98.9% of the total external debt obligations of the Colombian banking system.p.2
3. Creditor spreads on foreign borrowings are generally higher for working capital credit lines compared to trade credit lines.p.3
4. All reporting banks used the SOFR benchmark rate for foreign debt agreements across various terms.p.3
5. Short-term funding sources for foreign currency borrowings were concentrated in the United States (63.6%), Europe (18.2%), and Asia (9.1%).p.4
6. Average term lengths for foreign currency loans to local firms concentrate mostly between six and twelve months.p.5
7. Forward contracts represent the primary exchange rate hedging mechanism used by client firms to mitigate currency depreciation risks.p.6