Colombia president asks Trump to suspend tariffs after quake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods as the country struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake. De la Espriella said he made the request during a 10-minute phone call, describing the conversation as friendly and cordial. The tariffs, which rose from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent in late July, exempt coffee and oil.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake on August 10 devastated the western cities of Cali and Pereira, killing nearly 300 people and destroying close to 13,000 homes. Trump expressed condolences and offered US aid. De la Espriella, a right-wing millionaire lawyer who succeeded leftist Gustavo Petro, has aligned Colombia with Trump's anti-cartel Shield of the Americas alliance. He plans to seek a military pact with the US and Israel to bolster his war on guerrillas.