Colombia Seeks End to 12.5% US Tariff

COLOMBIA · TRADE

Colombia’s president wants no extra US tariffs on Colombian goods. He says the 12.5% duty and steel levies erode the 2012 trade agreement.

President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Tuesday, 27 October, that Colombia wants zero additional US tariffs on its goods. The target includes the 12.5% duty that Washington has charged on much of Colombia’s exports since 24 July.

US buyers imported US$17.9 billion of Colombian goods in 2025, according to the US Census Bureau, the federal statistics agency. The president also asked what the 2012 free trade agreement is worth if the extra duty applies anyway.

What the President Said on Tuesday

Colombian press reports say De la Espriella toured several ministries on Tuesday, including the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. They quote him setting one goal for US trade: “zero additional tariffs on Colombian products.”

He asked what use the free trade agreement, known in Spanish as the TLC, is under the current system, the reports add. His complaint is that the extra duty is charged on full value, with or without a trade deal.

The reports say the government will use technical, commercial and strategic arguments in Washington. They add that it wants to win back the full benefit of the agreement for Colombian exporters.

The president also said the Colombian peso has gained close to 18% against the dollar this year. A stronger peso makes Colombian goods dearer for foreign buyers, which he linked to weaker export competitiveness.

Where the 12.5% US Tariff Comes From

On Thursday, 23 July, the US Trade Representative (USTR), the White House trade office, announced tariffs on 60 economies. They rest on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and target countries without a forced-labour import ban.

Seventeen economies, including Mexico, Argentina and Ecuador, pay 10% because they ban forced-labour imports, partly do so or have pledged to. Colombia is not on that list, so it pays 12.5%, from 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, 24 July.

The USTR does not say Colombian goods are made with forced labour. Analdex, Colombia’s association of foreign-trade exporters, stresses that the finding concerns Colombia’s rules on imports from third countries.

Analdex says the 12.5% is added on top of the normal or treaty tariff. Goods entering at 0% under the 2012 agreement still pay it.

Coffee, bananas, oil, coal, gold and medicines are exempt, Analdex says. Flowers, clothing and plastics are in principle covered unless their tariff line is excluded.

Why Steel and Aluminium Need a Separate Fix

Steel and aluminium fall under a different US measure, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Goods already under Section 232 are excluded from the 12.5% duty, so removing it would not help them.

One report calls Section 232 the main obstacle for steel and aluminium. The president said he will negotiate to lift extra duties on them and other products.

One report adds that dropping the 12.5% would bring relief but would not solve the steel problem. The reports give no timetable and no US response.

Rates quoted for steel and aluminium differ between reports, so they are left out here. Colombian steel sales to the US are tied to the Section 232 regime, not to the 12.5% duty.

Trade Talks So Far

Colombia and the US are negotiating a reciprocal trade deal, and technical teams met from 5 to 7 October. Trade Minister Mauricio Gómez Amín then met Jamieson Greer, says AmCham Colombia, the American Chamber of Commerce in Colombia.

On Wednesday, 21 October, Gómez Amín said negotiators were reviewing the text article by article. He aims to sign before the end of 2026, possibly in December, and says the deal would complement the free trade agreement.

On Monday, 12 October, President Donald Trump told reporters he may lift the 12.5% tariff, saying “Puede que lo haga” (“I might”). Colombian outlets say he also called De la Espriella a friend; see earlier coverage of Trump’s remark.

On Tuesday, 27 October, Colombia’s ambassador, María Consuelo Araújo, met Luis Méndez, a US State Department deputy assistant secretary, in Washington. AmCham Colombia says the embassy reported no new agreement.

For wider context, read Colombia and the United States, Relations Explained and the December deal target. More news is on the Colombia hub.

What It Means for US Readers

US importers of Colombian flowers, apparel and plastics pay the 12.5% duty at the border today. A deal could lower their costs, but nothing changes until the USTR publishes a formal notice.

US exporters sold US$14.6 billion of goods to Colombia in January to August 2026, against US$12.1 billion of imports from Colombia. That is a US surplus of US$2.5 billion, which Washington can cite in the talks.

Colombia’s biggest exports, oil, coal, coffee and gold, are among the exempt goods. Steel and aluminium buyers face the separate Section 232 rules whatever happens to the 12.5%.

What Is Not Known

No date or text is known for the deal Colombia hopes to sign. No US official has responded to the 27 October remarks, and no USTR notice cutting the 12.5% rate has been found.

The Commerce Ministry’s news page had not posted a release on the visit when checked on Wednesday, 28 October. The president’s remarks therefore rest on two consistent Colombian press reports.

The 18% peso figure is the president’s own claim and was not checked here. It is also unclear whether “zero additional tariffs” includes the Section 232 duties on steel and aluminium.

What Comes Next

Colombia aims to sign the trade deal before the end of 2026, possibly in December. It is also preparing a high-level Economic Prosperity Dialogue with Washington, AmCham Colombia says, covering trade, investment and energy.

None of this means the 12.5% tariff has been cut. Only a formal US notice can do that.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Colombia want from the United States?

The president wants zero additional US tariffs on Colombian goods, including the 12.5% duty and the extra duties on steel and aluminium. His government plans to press its case in the trade talks.

Why does Colombia pay a 12.5% US tariff?

The US Trade Representative imposed it on 24 July after a Section 301 investigation into forced-labour import bans. Colombia was among 60 economies covered and was not among the 17 that pay 10%.

Does the free trade agreement not protect Colombian goods?

Not from this duty. Analdex says the 12.5% comes on top of the treaty tariff, so goods entering at 0% still pay it.

Are steel and aluminium covered by the 12.5% tariff?

No. Goods already under Section 232 are excluded from the 12.5% duty and face that separate regime instead. Colombia says it will negotiate on both.

When could the tariff change?

Colombia aims to sign a trade deal before the end of 2026, possibly in December. No US notice has cut the rate yet.

Sources: US Trade Representative, “USTR Takes Action in Forced Labor Section 301 Investigations”, 23 July 2026; US Census Bureau, trade in goods with Colombia; USTR, Colombia country page; AmCham Colombia, bilateral agenda after the Washington meeting, 27 October 2026; Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, news page; Colombian press report on the president’s goal of zero additional tariffs, 27 October 2026; Colombian press report on steel and aluminium tariffs, 27 October 2026; Analdex explanation of the 12.5% tariff, 24 July 2026; Colombian press report on Trump’s 12 October remark (all accessed 28 October 2026).