News Details

Colombia has formally banned the import, manufacture, sale and use of the pesticide ingredient methyl bromide across its national territory, in a move aimed at protecting public health and the ozone layer. The measure was announced in Resolution 000197 of 2026, issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and signed on 4 February. 

What has been banned?

Under Article 1 of the resolution, Colombia will prohibit:

• The import of methyl bromide

• Its manufacture and commercialisation

• Its use within the country

• Any pesticide products containing the active ingredient

The resolution takes effect immediately from the date of issuance

Why is methyl bromide being banned?

Methyl bromide has long been recognised as both highly toxic and a powerful ozone-depleting substance. According to the resolution, it was previously identified as “extremely toxic for humans” and as one of the most potent substances responsible for atmospheric ozone depletion

.Colombia is a signatory to:

• The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, ratified in 1990

• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, ratified in 1992

Under these international agreements, the country committed to controlling, reducing and ultimately eliminating ozone-depleting substances.

Was it still being used?

The government stated that, in practice, there has been no active commercial market for methyl bromide for several years, and that the prohibition formalises an already existing regulatory and technical situation

A formal end to a phased-out substance

With Resolution 000197, Colombia has now fully and explicitly prohibited methyl bromide nationwide. While its use had already dwindled to zero in practice, the new regulation provides legal certainty and aligns domestic law with international environmental commitments.