Colombia asks Trump to suspend tariffs as country reels from earthquake

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftDonald TrumpTrump, Netanyahu and the Iran questionHow Iran war fallout may shape US electionsA visual guide to redistrictingcaret-rightNews|Donald TrumpColombia asks Trump to suspend tariffs as country reels from earthquakePost-earthquake reconstruction is expected to cost around $6.4bn, but Colombia has been hit by renewed US tariffs. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoColombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella said he had a 'friendly and cordial' conversation with President Donald Trump, in which he asked him to suspend planned tariffs on the quake-hit country [File: Esteban Vega La-Rotta/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 15 Aug 202615 Aug 2026Colombia’s new president has called on United States President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs targeting the South American country, which is reeling from a deadly earthquake that has killed hundreds. President Abelardo de la Espriella said Saturday that he had requested the US “temporarily suspend” tariffs on Colombia to give “relief” to business owners. On Monday, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, killing at least 294 people and damaging or destroying tens of thousands of buildings across the country, according to Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. US tariffs on Colombian products rose from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July, with a few exceptions including coffee and oil. The US is Colombia’s top export market. The Colombian leader described his 10-minute conversation with President Trump as “very friendly and cordial”. “I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited,” de la Espriella said. Colombia’s Finance Minister Miguel Gomez said the government was not yet considering raising taxes to find the approximately $6.4bn needed for reconstruction, local media have reported. Shortly after a legal defeat on “Liberation Day” tariffs, the White House announced renewed tariffs targeting nearly every US trading partner, including Colombia, based on what it said were failures to uphold anti-forced labour measures. Trump endorsed the right-wing de la Espriella, a millionaire lawyer-turned-politician, during his run for the presidency that culminated in a close victory over leftist Ivan Cepeda in June. Since taking office in early August, de la Espriella has joined the so-called “Shield of the Americas”, an anti-cartel alliance headed by Trump and involving multiple South American nations. The new Colombian president has also said he plans to forge a military alliance with the US and Israel to help bolster the country’s long-running conflict with armed groups. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: