Colombia asks Trump to suspend tariff increase after deadly earthquake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend recently raised U.S. tariffs to aid Colombia's recovery after a catastrophic earthquake that has left at least 294 people dead.

De la Espriella told reporters the two leaders spoke for about ten minutes and that he described the conversation as “very friendly and cordial.” He said he asked Trump for tariff relief to help accelerate reconstruction and ease the economic burden on Colombian exporters.

Tariff increase and the reconstruction bill

U.S. customs duties for many Colombian products were raised from 10% to 12.5% at the end of July, with exceptions for certain goods such as coffee and oil. The United States remains Colombia's largest export market, and the tariff rise has sharpened concern in Bogotá over export competitiveness while the country copes with the disaster.

Finance Minister Miguel Gomez told local media that the government has not so far considered raising taxes to finance reconstruction, which officials estimate will require roughly $6.4 billion. The president described the scale of the task as an enormous challenge given an “extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation” he said he inherited.

The White House has said the revised duties were applied broadly to nearly every U.S. trading partner, including Colombia, on grounds of alleged non-compliance with measures to prevent forced labor. De la Espriella, a right‑wing millionaire and former lawyer, received public backing from Trump during his presidential campaign and narrowly defeated leftist Ivan Cepeda in June.

Since taking office in early August, the new president has joined an anti‑cartel coalition led by Trump, calling it the "Shield of America," and has announced plans to form a military partnership with the United States and Israel to bolster efforts against armed groups that have long troubled Colombia.

Photo: EPA/PABLO R. SECO