Colombia’s newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella has appealed to US President Donald Trump for a temporary suspension of tariffs on Colombian goods, as the South American nation grapples with the staggering human and economic fallout of a devastating earthquake, the Al Jazeera reported.
De la Espriella said on Saturday that he asked Trump to temporarily lift the tariffs to provide breathing room for Colombian businesses as the country turns towards a massive reconstruction effort.
The appeal comes after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing at least 294 people and damaging or destroying tens of thousands of buildings, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.
Tariff burden adds to reconstruction challenge
US tariffs on Colombian products rose from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent in late July, with exceptions including coffee and oil. The United States remains Colombia’s largest export market, making the higher duties an additional burden for businesses already facing the economic shock of the disaster.
De la Espriella described his roughly 10-minute conversation with Trump as “very friendly and cordial”, saying he had outlined the enormous task confronting his administration.
“I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited,” the president told Al Jazeera.
Finance minister Miguel Gomez, meanwhile, said the government was not yet considering tax increases to finance reconstruction, despite an estimated $6.4 billion requirement.
The tariff appeal follows Washington’s decision to impose renewed duties on nearly all major trading partners after the Trump administration suffered a legal setback over its earlier “Liberation Day” tariffs. The White House has linked the new measures against Colombia to what it described as shortcomings in enforcing anti-forced-labour measures.
Despite the trade tensions, relations between the two governments have warmed politically since de la Espriella took office in early August.
Trump backed the right-wing millionaire lawyer-turned-politician during Colombia’s presidential race, in which de la Espriella narrowly defeated left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda in June.
Since taking office, the Colombian leader has joined the “Shield of the Americas”, a Trump-backed anti-cartel alliance involving several South American countries.
De la Espriella has also signalled plans for a closer military partnership with the United States and Israel, aimed at strengthening Colombia’s long-running fight against armed groups.
For Bogota, the request for tariff relief now places economic necessity alongside its increasingly close strategic ties with Washington. With shattered communities awaiting reconstruction and billions of dollars needed to rebuild, the Colombian government is looking to turn its political rapport with Trump into tangible economic breathing room.
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