Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella says he asked President Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 300 people and destroyed almost 13,000 homes in Cali and Pereira. U.S. tariffs on Colombian products had just risen from 10% to 12.5% in late July under Section 301 authority, following the Supreme Court's rejection of Trump's earlier IEEPA-based tariffs.
De la Espriella described a 10-minute call with Trump as 'friendly and cordial,' in which Trump expressed condolences over the earthquake deaths. The Colombian leader, who Trump endorsed during the campaign and who succeeded the U.S.-sanctioned Gustavo Petro, has since joined Trump's 'Shield of the Americas' anti-cartel alliance and is pursuing a military partnership with the U.S. and Israel. The White House has not responded to a request for comment on the tariff request.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.