Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella called U.S. President Donald Trump on August 16, 2026, to request the temporary suspension of recently raised tariffs on Colombian goods following a deadly earthquake earlier this month [1, 2, 3, 4]. The conversation lasted about 10 minutes and was described as friendly and cordial by De la Espriella, who said President Trump expressed warmth and sympathy for Colombia and its people [1, 2, 3, 4].
The request aims to ease the economic burden on Colombian businesses affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on August 10, 2026, heavily damaging western cities including Cali and Pereira [1, 3, 4]. The death toll from the quake has reached 294, with nearly 13,000 homes destroyed [1, 3, 4].
In the phone call, De la Espriella thanked Trump for U.S. economic assistance and rescue aid already provided after the disaster [1, 2, 4]. Trump conveyed condolences for lives lost and expressed solidarity with the affected families [1, 2, 4].
De la Espriella explained Colombia faces an "extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation" inherited from previous administrations and emphasized the scale of the challenge to rebuild the country [2]. He told 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" [3].
U.S. tariffs on Colombian goods increased from 10% to 12.5% on July 24, 2026, shortly before the earthquake struck. Coffee and oil products were excluded from the hike [3].
De la Espriella succeeded leftist Gustavo Petro as president and has expressed support for U.S.-led anti-cartel alliances and plans to strengthen military cooperation with the U.S. and Israel against guerrilla groups [3].
The tariff suspension request represents a key economic step as Colombia copes with the aftermath of the earthquake, with further discussions expected on bilateral support measures.
