Did You Know That the U.S. Relies on Colombian Flowers to Say ‘I Love You’ on Valentine’s Day? 

More than a billion fresh-cut flowers have crossed into the United States since the start of the year, arriving from fields in Colombia, Ecuador, and the Netherlands. They are destined for weddings, grocery stores, hospital rooms, and Valentine’s Day bouquets. The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of cut flowers, with people from the U.S. expected to spend a record-breaking $2.9 billion on floral gifts this holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. 

Valentine’s Day Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Colombian Flowers

Colombia remains the dominant supplier, accounting for more than 60 percent of imported flowers in 2024, The Washington Post reports. The industry’s grip on the U.S. market began in 1991, when Congress passed the Andean Trade Preference Act, removing tariffs on certain goods from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. The goal was to redirect agricultural economies away from illicit crops and into legitimate exports. The response was immediate — Colombian rose shipments to the U.S. surged over 30 percent in the two years that followed. 

Nearly 80 percent of all flowers sold in the U.S. now come from abroad. Domestic growers have struggled to compete, with high land prices, labor shortages, and rising fertilizer costs making large-scale production unfeasible. 

In Colombia, the industry moves at an unrelenting pace, particularly in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. At major export hubs, flowers harvested in the morning can be on sale in Florida by nightfall. The process is tightly orchestrated — once cut, flowers are quickly hydrated, treated, and bundled into bouquets before being stored at 35 degrees Fahrenheit. They are flown to Miami, where they pass through customs inspections before heading to retailers across the country. Last year, nearly 1,700 cargo flights transported 59,000 tons of flowers from Bogotá to the U.S., enough to fill roughly 150 million bouquets. 

But What About the Tariffs?

Political tensions have cast uncertainty over the industry. Last month, the White House threatened to impose tariffs on Colombian imports after a standoff over deportation flights. A last-minute agreement kept the supply chain intact, but the episode underscored how fragile the trade has become. President Donald Trump has also floated a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, two of the U.S.’s top five flower suppliers. If enacted, the price of flowers — especially those tied to major holidays — could rise sharply. 

Despite the political wrangling, demand continues to grow. The pandemic reshaped purchasing habits, with people from the U.S. relying on floral gifts as a way to connect during lockdowns. That trend has not only persisted but expanded, driven by postponed celebrations and a heightened appreciation for everyday gestures.  

Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day remain the industry’s most intense periods, with farms, shipping hubs, and retailers operating at maximum speed to move millions of flowers per day. The industry’s future depends on global demand, but as long as people from the U.S. continue to express affection through flowers, Colombia’s foothold in the market will remain.  

Will your home flaunt Colombian flowers this Valentine’s Day?