Colombia seeks US tariff pause after 7.4 quake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has formally asked U.S. President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend recently increased U.S. tariffs on Colombian goods, linking the request to Colombia’s recovery plans after a deadly earthquake, officials said.

Officials said a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Colombia on Monday, with at least 294 deaths confirmed. Authorities also reported widespread damage to infrastructure, which officials said has expanded the scale of the emergency response and added to the rebuilding challenge.

Colombia’s government has estimated reconstruction needs at $6 Tariff relief request tied to rebuilding costs Colombian President Abelardo The appeal follows a U.S. tariff increase in July that lifted duties on Colombian goods from 10 percent to 12.5 percent. Officials described the change as part of a broader measure applied to U.S. trading partners, with U.S. concerns citing forced labor practices. Colombia’s government has estimated reconstruction needs at $6.4 billion. Officials said the administration sees a temporary tariff suspension as a way to ease near-term pressure as rebuilding plans move forward, particularly as costs rise alongside repairs to damaged infrastructure networks. Officials also said the country is operating under what they described as a strained national economy. In their account, higher trade costs are more difficult to absorb at a time when the government is trying to manage the immediate response while planning longer-term reconstruction.

Bogotá seeks fiscal room without immediate tax increases Bogotá seeks fiscal room without immediate tax increases Officials identified the United States as Colombia’s primary Officials identified the United States as Colombia’s primary export market and said the higher duties add strain as the administration seeks to preserve fiscal flexibility. They said the government is examining ways to finance emergency measures and rebuilding efforts without moving immediately to tax increases. De la Espriella, who took office in early August, described his recent dialogue with Trump as cordial, according to officials. They said the request explicitly connects tariff relief to the earthquake’s human toll and the reported damage across infrastructure networks. Officials did not provide details on how a suspension could be structured if Washington agrees. The information available did not indicate whether any pause would cover all goods affected by the July increase or only a narrower set of exports, and no timeline was provided for potential implementation. Talks pending as policy details remain unresolved Officials said Washington has not announced a decision and that discussions are still pending. They also said Colombia is balancing its immediate need for economic stabilization with its participation in the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas alliance.

Officials said the administration has not set out how it would track the budget effect of a tariff pause on recovery financing or how it would prioritize spending across impacted regions and damaged infrastructure. For now, they said the government’s view is that tariff relief would reduce economic strain while reconstruction planning continues, even as uncertainty remains over whether the July tariff levels will be revised and how quickly any change could take effect.