Colombia's president asks Trump to suspend tariffs after earthquake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has appealed to his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, for a temporary suspension of American tariffs on Colombian products. The request comes in the wake of a devastating earthquake that has severely impacted the nation's economy.

In a social media message, de la Espriella stated he had a "friendly" call with Trump, during which he asked for the suspension of "high tariffs that affect Colombian products" to help businesses facing difficult times due to the earthquake's effects. The tariffs on Colombian goods had recently increased from 10% to 12.5% in late July, with some exceptions.

De la Espriella, who took office on August 7, also expressed gratitude to Trump for $26.5 million in aid and the deployment of rescue teams. The Colombian president intends to declare an economic emergency to manage the significant losses incurred from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which has claimed 294 lives and injured nearly 4,000 people. The measure will grant him the authority to implement new taxes and adjust the national budget without congressional approval.

The earthquake has left over 14,000 homes destroyed in cities like Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. This disaster follows de la Espriella's recent actions to re-establish security alliances with the United States and strengthen diplomatic ties with Israel, reversing a trend of distancing from these nations during the previous left-wing government. He also thanked Israel for its humanitarian support and rescue personnel.

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I asked him to consider the temporary suspension of the high tariffs that affect Colombian products, in order to alleviate our businessmen, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.