Colombia’s new President Abelardo de la Espriella asks US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs that currently target Colombian products. He makes the request in the context of a deadly earthquake that damages infrastructure, disrupts the economy, and leaves many families needing rebuilding support.
According to multiple outlets, US tariffs on Colombian goods increase from 10% to 12.5% starting in late July, with limited exceptions such as coffee and oil. De la Espriella says he discussed the issue with Trump and that Trump expressed condolences for deaths from a 7.4-magnitude quake earlier in the week. The Colombian president links the request to the need for relief to businesses facing “very difficult times” as the country focuses on recovery.
Outlets also add additional context. Al Jazeera reports that reconstruction is expected to cost about $6.4 billion. Other articles describe the tariff changes as replacing an expiring global duty introduced earlier this year, and mention Colombia’s new administration’s broader US-aligned security and political partnerships, though they do not present differing accounts of the tariff request itself.
