MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia asks Washington to suspend 12.5% tariffs over the earthquake emergency

The Colombian leader reported the request on his X account, following a telephone conversation he described as “friendly” and lasting ten minutes

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Saturday asked his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods, arguing this would give exporters relief as the country faces the economic consequences of Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

The Colombian leader reported the request on his X account, following a telephone conversation he described as “friendly” and lasting ten minutes. “I asked him to consider temporarily suspending the high tariffs affecting Colombian products, in order to give relief to our businesses, which are going through very difficult times because of the effects of the earthquake,” he wrote. The White House issued no statement on the content of the call.
The United States raised the general tariff on imports from Colombia from 10% to 12.5% at the end of July, with exceptions including coffee and oil. Among the sectors affected is flower growing, one of Colombia's leading exports to the US market.

De la Espriella thanked Trump for 26.5 million dollars in economic assistance and for the deployment of rescue teams. Washington had initially announced 15.5 million dollars in aid and activated a disaster response team on the day of the earthquake.

According to the Colombian president's account, Trump expressed condolences for the victims, voiced his “affection for Colombia” and backed the reconstruction effort. “Today, more than ever, the alliance between Colombia and the United States is an imperative for the reconstruction of our beloved nation,” De la Espriella said.

He also said he raised with Trump the challenge of rebuilding the country “amid the very difficult and apocalyptic economic situation I inherited.” Colombia closed 2025 with a fiscal deficit equivalent to 6.4% of gross domestic product, and its public debt reached a record 1,167 trillion pesos at the end of the first half. On Wednesday, De la Espriella declared an economic emergency, a mechanism that empowers the executive to set taxes and adjust the budget without going through Congress, subject to Constitutional Court review.

The president also spoke on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thanking him for humanitarian aid and rescue teams sent by that country. Since taking office on August 7 he has restored the security alliance with the United States and diplomatic ties with Israel, from both of which Colombia had distanced itself under the previous government.

The toll from the National Disaster Risk Management Unit, as of 6:30am on Saturday, records 294 dead, 3,935 injured and 320 missing, along with more than 14,000 homes brought down. The epicenter was located near San José del Palmar, in Chocó department.