President Donald Trump said Monday he might remove the additional 12.5% U.S. tariff on some Colombian goods, linking the possible move to his friendship with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. But nothing’s been signed. No executive order, no USTR notice, no Federal Register filing. Until that changes, the duty stays in place.
Trump made the remark to reporters outside the White House on 12 October, just before flying to Ohio to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections. In the Spanish rendering by the news agency EFE, carried by Bogotá daily El Tiempo, he said, “Puede que lo haga,” meaning, “I may do it.” He called De la Espriella a friend, said he had backed him and said the Colombian leader was doing a great job. The reports gave no timetable and no list of products. La República reported Tuesday that Trump had opened the door to lifting the tariff.
How the Duty Came to Be
On Thursday, 23 July, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced the duty’s final action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The action followed an investigation of 60 economies into whether they imposed and enforced bans on importing goods made with forced labor. Seventeen economies with such a ban, or a promise to adopt one, received a 10% rate. Most others got 12.5%. Colombia landed in the higher group, according to La República and El Tiempo.
The USTR criteria were straightforward: an economy with a forced-labor import ban, or a commitment to one in a trade agreement, went into the lower group. Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador and Guatemala were among those assigned the 10% rate.
Who Pays
Colombian flowers, apparel and processed foods pay the extra duty, according to both newspapers. La República also listed chocolates, confectionery and cosmetics, while El Tiempo also named footwear. Coffee, oil, gold, bananas, avocados and certain sugars were exempt, La República reported.
Colombia’s government doesn’t pay the cost. U.S. importers pay the tariff when goods clear customs, and exporters may absorb part of the burden through lower prices, shoppers through higher prices, or both. That’s the part of the story that rarely makes the speeches. An import tax collects money on American commerce, and someone along the supply chain absorbs it.
Diplomacy and the Politics of the Moment
The remark came as relations between Washington and Bogotá warmed after conservative lawyer De la Espriella succeeded leftist Gustavo Petro. El Tiempo contrasted the warmer tone with Trump’s tense relationship with Petro. In August, after an earthquake, De la Espriella asked Trump to suspend the tariffs, according to Emol and BAE Negocios. The two governments had also deepened security cooperation since De la Espriella took office in August, the EFE report said, though it didn’t link that cooperation directly to the tariff.
Colombia’s government hadn’t commented publicly on Trump’s remark in the reports reviewed. A La República headline cited exporters’ group Analdex as saying the rate could soon fall to zero, but no official had confirmed that.
What Would Have to Happen
Any change would require formal action, such as a USTR modification of the Section 301 measure or a presidential order. A passing comment to reporters, however friendly, doesn’t change what importers pay at the border. Until a document appears, goods entering the United States continue to face the 12.5% rate.
Why This Matters: Tariff policy that bends to personal rapport rather than published criteria creates a planning problem for businesses. The USTR sorted 60 economies by a stated test: a forced-labor import ban or a commitment to one. If rates can shift on the strength of a friendship, importers and exporters can’t count on the rules staying put. That’s a cost in itself, one that doesn’t show up on a customs form. Meanwhile, American importers of Colombian flowers, apparel and processed foods keep paying the duty, and shoppers may keep absorbing part of it. Relief for them would be welcome, but a durable, rules-based approach would serve them better than a presidential aside. Until a formal notice arrives, uncertainty is the only thing that’s changed.