Colombia’s newly inaugurated president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has formally requested that United States President Donald Trump “temporarily suspend” trade tariffs currently impacting the South American nation. The appeal comes as the country struggles to recover from a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday, resulting in at least 294 deaths and widespread destruction of tens of thousands of structures, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.
During a 10-minute phone call described by the Colombian leader as “very friendly and cordial,” de la Espriella emphasized the severe economic challenges facing his administration. He noted that he inherited an “apocalyptic economic situation” and now faces the daunting task of funding a reconstruction effort estimated to cost approximately $6.4bn. Finance Minister Miguel Gomez stated that the government is not currently planning to implement tax hikes to cover these massive recovery expenses.
The request for trade relief arrives at a time of heightened economic pressure, as US tariffs on most Colombian goods were increased from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July. The White House implemented these broader measures against nearly all US trading partners, citing alleged failures to enforce anti-forced labour regulations, following a legal setback regarding previous “Liberation Day” tariffs.
Since assuming office in early August, de la Espriella—a former lawyer who secured a narrow victory over leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda in June with an endorsement from Trump—has moved to align his administration closely with Washington. He has already joined the “Shield of the Americas,” a Trump-led anti-cartel alliance, and has expressed intentions to establish a military partnership with the US and Israel to address ongoing domestic conflicts with armed groups.
Despite the current diplomatic push for economic leniency, the US remains Colombia’s primary export market. While the recent tariff hike includes specific exemptions for commodities like oil and coffee, the broader trade barriers continue to weigh heavily on the nation’s business sector as it attempts to navigate the aftermath of the natural disaster.
US tariffs on Colombian products rose from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July, with a few exceptions including coffee and oil.
Source: Aljazeera
