Aluminum Can Supplier for Colombia: 355ml & 473ml B2B Sourcing Guide

1. The Colombian Beverage Can Market

Colombia is the second-most populous country in South America and one of its most active beverage markets. Mainstream lager brands produced by the large industrial brewers run continuous can programs, Bogota and Medellin host the country's most developed craft brewing scenes, and energy drinks and RTD cocktails keep winning shelf space in supermarkets, convenience chains, and corner stores. For custom-printed runs, specialty formats such as the 473ml wide body, and coordinated can-and-end programs, Colombian beverage brands regularly source from export manufacturers alongside local channels — which makes supplier selection a decisive factor for landed cost, lead time, and shelf impact.

Colombian importers typically coordinate a single consolidated program that covers cans and easy-open ends together. Alucan supplies both from the same program: two-piece aluminum bodies with matching 202 neck finish and 202 B64 SOT or CDL ends, printed in up to 8 colors with Spanish-language label artwork locked before tooling. For the wider regional picture, see our aluminum can supplier guide for South America.

2. Which Can Formats Colombian Brands Order

Two standard formats cover the large majority of Colombian can programs we coordinate. Both share the same 66.04 mm body diameter and 202 neck finish, so filling lines and seamers can run either size without changing neck tooling:

Seasonality matters: Colombian demand peaks around the December holiday season and again during long weekends and festival periods, and can production is scheduled in campaigns. We recommend confirming production slots and delivery windows well before the peak, especially for first-time launches that still need artwork approval and registration documentation.

3. Technical Specifications (Data Sheet Values)

The parameters below are taken directly from our product data sheets. The 355ml (12oz) Standard can is the reference specification most Colombian buyers start with:

The 473ml (16oz) Standard can shares the same 66.04 mm body diameter and 202 neck finish at a taller 157.23 mm height, loading 5835 cans per pallet (93360 cans per 40HQ). Because the two formats share neck tooling and end compatibility, breweries can run both sizes on one seamer line:

For full regional format comparison, review the aluminum can size guide and our South America sourcing guide.

4. Coating Compliance for Colombia Imports

Food-contact packaging imported into Colombia is overseen by INVIMA, the national food and drug surveillance institute, together with the Ministry of Health. Three documents protect your registration and customs clearance: food-contact migration test reports from independent laboratories such as SGS, food safety certification of the supplying production facilities (FSSC 22000), and the commercial specification confirming the internal coating system.

Alucan supplies cans with water-based modified epoxy resin internal coatings as standard. Epoxy is the mainstream coating system for Colombian beverage imports — BPANI linings are only required in specific regulated markets such as Norway, Canada, certain US states, and some global retail groups, not by Colombian regulation. Confirming the coating system before tooling protects flavor stability for sensitive products, especially craft IPA and RTD programs. Our coating guide explains the technical differences in detail.

5. FOB and CIF Shipping to Cartagena and Buenaventura

Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast, is Colombia's largest container gateway and the reference port for most can import programs we coordinate for Colombian customers; Buenaventura, on the Pacific, serves as the main alternative for certain inland routing strategies. Ocean transit from Chinese loading ports typically runs 30–40 days depending on the service loop and destination port, so a December peak season program should book production and vessel space roughly three months ahead.

Under FOB Cartagena terms, experienced importers control ocean freight and marine insurance through their own forwarders — the common choice for repeat high-volume programs. Under CIF Cartagena terms, Alucan coordinates the ocean leg and insurance, which simplifies the first import cycle. First-time importers typically start with CIF and transition to FOB as volumes stabilize. Our FOB vs CIF guide compares both Incoterms in detail.

One 40HQ container per SKU is the standard sea-freight MOQ: 118,256 units of the 355ml Standard or 93,360 units of the 473ml Standard per container according to our data sheets. Consolidating cans and ends in a mixed load is possible — our 40HQ loading guide covers pallet configurations and mixed-container strategies.

FAQ: Sourcing Aluminum Cans for Colombia