Colombia asks Trump for tariff relief after deadly earthquake

Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has appealed to US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods, citing the need for economic relief after a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake. The request was made during a 10-minute phone call, during which Trump offered condolences for the nearly 300 lives lost, according to timesnownews.com.

The earthquake struck western Colombian cities of Cali and Pereira, destroying close to 13,000 homes. De la Espriella described the situation as 'extremely difficult and apocalyptic'. The US had raised tariffs on Colombian goods from 10% to 12.5% in late July under Section 301 of the Trade Act, accusing Colombia of failing to address forced labour. Coffee and oil were exempted. De la Espriella, who took over from leftist Gustavo Petro, has aligned Colombia with Trump's anti-cartel alliance, the Shield of the Americas.