Bogota, Aug 2026 : Colombia’s newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella has urged US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods, arguing that the measure would provide much-needed relief to businesses struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake.
US tariffs on Colombian products increased from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent in late July, with some key exports, including coffee and oil, exempted from the higher duties. The revised tariffs took effect on July 24, replacing a global tariff measure introduced by the Trump administration earlier this year.
De la Espriella said he raised the issue directly with Trump during a telephone conversation and asked the US President to consider temporarily removing the higher tariffs.
“I asked him to consider to temporarily suspend the high tariffs that are affecting Colombian products, in order to give some relief to our business owners, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The Colombian President said he spoke with Trump for around 10 minutes and described the conversation as “very friendly and cordial”. Trump also conveyed his condolences over the deaths and destruction caused by the earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday.
De la Espriella said Colombia now faced a major challenge of rebuilding after the disaster, while also dealing with difficult economic circumstances.
“I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited,” he said.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake caused extensive destruction in western Colombia, particularly affecting the cities of Cali and Pereira. Nearly 300 people were reported killed, while close to 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, placing enormous pressure on emergency services and the government’s reconstruction efforts.
The tariff appeal highlights the growing economic importance of Colombia’s relationship with Washington as the new administration attempts to secure international support for reconstruction while tackling security challenges.
De la Espriella, a millionaire lawyer-turned-politician, succeeded left-wing President Gustavo Petro after campaigning on a strongly pro-US platform. Trump had openly endorsed De la Espriella during his presidential campaign, strengthening expectations of closer relations between the two countries.
Since taking office, the Colombian leader has also aligned his government with Trump’s regional security initiatives. Colombia has joined the so-called “Shield of the Americas”, an anti-cartel alliance led by the United States and involving several pro-Washington governments in Latin America, including Argentina, Ecuador and El Salvador.
The participating countries exchange intelligence and coordinate judicial and security operations aimed at combating transnational organised crime and drug trafficking.
De la Espriella has also signalled plans to deepen defence cooperation with Washington and Israel. His government intends to pursue a military alliance involving the two countries as part of efforts to strengthen Colombia’s campaign against guerrilla groups and other armed organisations.
The request for tariff relief now puts the economic dimension of the Colombia-US relationship in focus, with Bogota seeking greater flexibility from Washington at a time when the country faces the dual challenge of earthquake reconstruction and broader economic pressures.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
