U.S. President Donald Trump has set tariffs on Colombia at 10%, the minimum rate under his new protectionist policy. A few hours ago, President Trump imposed tariffs on all countries exporting to the U.S., establishing a “baseline” of 10% for every single country. The Trump administration has designed specific “reciprocal tariffs” for countries it deems to impose excessively high tariffs on the U.S., notably China.
Trump sets US tariffs on Colombia at 10% amid global protectionist policy
Colombia and the U.S., despite their free trade agreement, now have reciprocal 10% tariffs on each other’s products.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Laura Sarabia, reacted to the decision, stating: “The Trump administration’s measures are not directed solely at Colombia but are part of a global decision that reorganizes the rules of world trade. Protecting our national industry and our exports will be our main objective.”
She added that the Petro government is “prepared and sees new opportunities in this situation. We will continue diversifying markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America through a comprehensive strategy and joint efforts across all entities and sectors.” She also emphasized that this is “a huge opportunity to expand our global presence. We will continue promoting trade based on openness and mutual benefit, driving development and decent employment in our regions.”
President Petro had already called for diversifying Colombia’s trade partners in an effort to shift away from its traditional Western-focused trade. The President has notably vowed to renegotiate Colombia’s free trade agreements with both the U.S. and the EU, which he labeled “unfair,” as these two partners account for nearly 50% of Colombia’s trade.
LIBERATION DAY RECIPROCAL TARIFFS 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ODckbUWKvO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 2, 2025
Around 30% of Colombian exports are destined for the U.S., including key products such as oil, coffee, and flowers.
Claudia Lacouture, President of the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce, downplayed the impact of these measures, citing their global and non-targeted nature. “We understand the concern this news may cause, especially in key export sectors. However, it’s important to keep perspective: since this is a universal measure, all supplier countries face the same increase, meaning Colombian products remain competitive in the U.S. market,” she said.
She specifically highlighted the case of coffee, noting that Colombia’s competitors in the U.S., including Vietnam, have been hit with significantly higher tariffs. “This difference opens a window of opportunity for Colombia in that market,” she emphasized.
Related: Colombian Oil Exports Exempted from US Tariffs
Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’
Trump fulfilled today his campaign promise of imposing “reciprocal” tariffs on trade partners in order to adjust U.S. trade balance and advance the country’s reindustrialization.
“April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again,” he said.
“Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years,” he added, “But it is not going to happen anymore”.
Overall, Latin American countries have been spared from Trump’s tariff policy, with countries like Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Chile receiving 10% tariffs, like Colombia.
Notable exceptions include the authoritarian left-wing regimes of Nicaragua (18%) and Venezuela (15%). Mexico had already been subjected to a 25% tariff, despite accounting for around 13% of U.S. imports.
The countries most affected by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are in Asia, which accounts for over 40% of global U.S. imports: China (34%), India (26%), Japan (24%), Malaysia (24%), Myanmar (44%), Pakistan (29%), South Korea (25%), Taiwan (32%), Thailand (36%), Vietnam (46%).
In Europe, while the UK has been relatively spared with a 10% tariff, the EU has been hit with a 20% tariff, as previously announced, while Switzerland faces a 31% tariff. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia received a 10% tariff, while South Africa was hit with 30%.
Related: Trump’s Tariffs Don’t Violate US-Colombia FTA: AmCham Head.