The President of Colombia asked Trump to suspend tariffs following the earthquake
Colombian President Abelardo de la Esprieylla has appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend U.S. tariffs on Colombian goods following the devastating earthquake in the country. According to the Colombian leader, this step should ease the situation for local businesses.
De la Esprieya said he made the request on Saturday. His conversation with Trump lasted about 10 minutes and was, according to the Colombian president, friendly and cordial. He explained to the U.S. president the massive challenge of rebuilding the country amid a difficult economic situation.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday. According to Colombia’s National Disaster Risk Management Agency, at least 294 people were killed, and tens of thousands of buildings across the country were damaged or destroyed.
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The estimated cost of post-earthquake reconstruction is about $6.4 billion. According to local media reports, Colombian Finance Minister Miguel Gómez stated that the government is not currently considering raising taxes to raise these funds.
In late July, U.S. tariffs on Colombian products rose from 10% to 12.5%. Exceptions are provided, in particular, for coffee and oil. The U.S. is Colombia’s largest export market. The White House, in announcing the reinstatement of tariffs on Colombia and many other U.S. trading partners, stated that the reason was a failure to implement measures against forced labor.
