The president of the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), Maria Claudia Lacouture, stated that the tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration on Colombia do not violate the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, which has been in effect since 2012.
Lacouture made these remarks while assessing the U.S. administration’s decision to impose a 10% tariff on Colombian products amid the trade war initiated by President Trump.
Trump’s tariffs do not violate the FTA with Colombia, according to AmCham
Since Colombia and the U.S. have maintained a Free Trade Agreement for 13 years, some voices argued that Trump’s tariffs could represent a breach of the agreement. However, the president of AmCham Colombia clarified that Trump’s decision is based on a U.S. national security law that allows the American president to impose such trade restrictions.
“The measure taken by the Trump administration is supported by a U.S. national security law, and therefore, the president can make these decisions overriding past trade agreements,” she explained.
Lacouture also warned that this measure will directly affect end consumers and could have significant consequences for Colombian exports.
In an interview with local media outlet Blu Radio, the AmCham president explained that the impact of these tariffs will primarily be felt in product prices.
“Undoubtedly, the end consumer will be the first to feel this effect, as prices will likely increase due to the reciprocal tariffs being imposed. Second, it will depend on companies’ ability to adapt to these changes and avoid reductions in their export processes,” she noted.
Call for Petro’s Government to Support Colombian Businesses
Lacouture urged President Gustavo Petro’s administration to support businesses in developing strategies to minimize the negative effects of these tariffs.
Among the options she highlighted, she emphasized the importance of strengthening presence in other markets and diversifying exports to reduce dependence on the U.S.
It is worth recalling that just yesterday, President Petro himself spoke about the need to seek new markets to counter the impact of U.S. tariffs.
“Latin America, including Colombia, initially benefits from Trump’s tariff policy. But Colombian businesses must know how to seize opportunities. Agroindustrial and semi-industrial products from countries outside Latin America become more expensive in U.S. markets, and if we can produce those goods more cheaply, it is time to export there,” Petro wrote in a post on his X account.
Additionally, the Colombian president called for lowering energy rates and strongly criticized the board of directors of the Central Bank to reduce interest rates.
“By deciding to impose tariffs based on geographic areas rather than product types, Trump allows us to improve competitive positions across Latin America. Colombia could benefit if its business sector helps lower energy rates and if the Central Bank’s board abandons dogma and moves to cut interest rates, reducing financial costs,” he wrote in the same X post.
Latinoamérica, incluida Colombia, se benefician con la política de Trump sobre aranceles, en primera instancia.
Pero el empresariado colombiano debe saber aprovechar las cosas, producciones agroindustriales y semindustriales de países fuera de latinoamérica se encarecen en los… https://t.co/BNdGeskxJ8
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) April 3, 2025
Colombian exports affected by Trump’s tariffs
Everyone agrees, including the president of AmCham Colombia, that the implementation of U.S. tariffs will impact strategic sectors of the Colombian economy: flowers, coffee, and fruits.
“We must not forget that 79% of flower exports, 40% of coffee, and 35% of fruits and vegetables go to the U.S. This affects job creation; the impact is significant, but we must analyze the variables, the implications, and thus the country’s economic growth,” she stated.
As an immediate measure to mitigate the impact of the tariffs, Lacouture emphasized the need to strengthen the local market and enhance the competitiveness of Colombian products in the United States.
For the president of AmCham Colombia, this should be the first step in a series of decisions that, in the medium term, also involve seeking new commercial markets to reduce dependence on the U.S.