Colombia asks Trump to suspend tariffs as country reels from earthquake

What the report says

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend newly raised tariffs on Colombian goods as the country struggles to recover from a deadly earthquake, Al Jazeera reported. The request came during what de la Espriella described as a friendly, 10-minute call with Trump on Saturday.

The earthquake, which struck on Monday with a magnitude of 7.4, killed at least 294 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, according to Colombia’s disaster management agency. Reconstruction is expected to cost about $6.4bn, and Colombian officials have said they are still assessing how to finance that effort. Finance Minister Miguel Gomez said the government was not yet considering tax increases, according to local media cited by Al Jazeera.

The tariff issue adds pressure to an economy already facing disruption. US tariffs on Colombian products were increased from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July, though coffee and oil were exempted. The United States remains Colombia’s largest export market, so the higher duties could affect business owners and broader recovery efforts.

Al Jazeera also noted wider context: the Trump administration recently reimposed tariffs on nearly all US trading partners, and de la Espriella has moved closer to Washington since taking office earlier this month. The newspaper’s report suggests the tariff dispute may become part of Colombia’s broader political and economic response to the disaster.