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Colombia president asks US to suspend tariffs amid earthquake recovery
🇮🇪 Ireland /Economy & Trade

Colombia president asks US to suspend tariffs amid earthquake recovery

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has requested that the US temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian products to aid the nation's recovery from a devastating earthquake.
  • The request follows a recent increase in US tariffs on Colombian goods, excluding coffee and oil, which took effect in late July.
  • The 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 300 people and destroyed thousands of homes in western Colombia, exacerbating an already difficult economic situation inherited by the new president.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian products, citing the severe impact of a recent earthquake on the nation's economy. The appeal comes as Colombia grapples with the aftermath of a 7.4-magnitude quake that devastated western cities and claimed nearly 300 lives.

I asked him to consider to temporarily suspend the high tariffs that are affecting Colombian products, in order to give some relief to our business owners, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaColombia's President speaking on X about his request to U.S. President Donald Trump.

"I asked him to consider to temporarily suspend the high tariffs that are affecting Colombian products, in order to give some relief to our business owners, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake," President De la Espriella stated on X. U.S. tariffs on Colombian goods rose from 10% to 12.5% in late July, with some exceptions like coffee and oil. These increased tariffs replaced an expiring global duty.

The earthquake, which struck on Monday, destroyed almost 13,000 homes in the cities of Cali and Pereira. President De la Espriella described the economic situation he inherited as "extremely difficult and apocalyptic," and the earthquake has compounded these challenges. He mentioned a "very friendly and cordial" 10-minute conversation with President Trump, who offered condolences.

The conversation was very friendly and cordial.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaColombia's President describing his discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump.

President De la Espriella, a lawyer-turned-politician who succeeded Gustavo Petro, has aligned himself with the U.S. through the "Shield of the Americas," an anti-cartel alliance. He also plans to establish a military alliance with the United States and Israel to combat guerrilla groups. The president's request for tariff suspension highlights the delicate balance between international trade relations and domestic recovery efforts following a major natural disaster.

I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaColombia's President speaking about the nation's economic challenges and the impact of the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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