Colombian President asks US to temporarily suspend import tariffs

Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella on Tuesday asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to temporarily suspend tariffs imposed on Colombian products. De La Espriella said the request was made during a phone conversation with Rubio, which he described as “highly productive”. He added that formal procedures must be completed before the tariffs can be suspended.

“I reiterated the request to temporarily suspend the tariffs imposed on Colombian products. Procedures must be completed to make this happen, and the United States Government is fully willing to continue the process to achieve that goal,” he said via the US social media platform X.

De La Espriella said he had instructed Trade Minister Mauricio Gomez to travel to Washington on Tuesday to lead negotiations and seek the temporary suspension of the tariffs.

The request came as the US continues to provide assistance to Colombia following a powerful earthquake that struck the country on 10 August. De La Espriella thanked Rubio for US economic and humanitarian aid as well as search and rescue support.

The US State Department confirmed that Rubio spoke with De La Espriella on Tuesday. The discussion focused on continued US support for Colombians affected by the earthquake.

“The United States has provided 26.5 million US dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance, deployed search and rescue teams, and provided C-130 airlift flights to support Colombia’s recovery,” said US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.