United States Raises Tariff on Colombian Products to 12.5% Starting This Friday
Due to a decision adopted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), that country will increase, starting this Friday, July 24, from 10% to 12.5% the additional tariff that numerous imports from Colombia will have to pay.
The measure, which does not apply only to Colombia but also to other countries that, according to the U.S. authority, have not adopted or effectively implemented mechanisms to prohibit the importation of products made with forced labor, will enter into force for merchandise entered for consumption or withdrawn from storage for consumption as of 12:01 a.m. on July 24, Colombia local time.
The decision was published this Thursday, July 23, by the USTR, as a result of investigations conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. According to the U.S. trade authority, Colombia is among the countries that have not adopted or effectively enforced a prohibition to prevent the entry of goods produced, totally or partially, through forced labor.
The two charges are not cumulative
The USTR clarified that the determination does not imply that Colombian exports are produced under these conditions. The questioning is directed at Colombian regulations regarding imports from third countries and the lack of an effective prohibition against this type of merchandise.
The measure modifies the access conditions for products such as flowers, clothing and manufactured goods, while maintaining exclusions for strategic goods such as coffee, bananas, oil and coal.
The new tariff replaces the general temporary 10% surcharge that the United States had maintained since February 2026. Consequently, both charges are not cumulative and, for products affected by the decision, the additional tariff increases from 10% to 12.5%, equivalent to an increase of 2.5 percentage points.
The USTR established an exception for merchandise that was already in transit before the measure took effect. These products will not pay the new tariff as long as they were loaded before the start of the effective period and are cleared through customs in the United States before July 28.
For the National Association of Foreign Trade in Colombia (ANALDEX), the decision leaves Colombia in a less favorable position compared with several of its international competitors.
Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, among other countries, were subject to a 10% surcharge or meet the conditions required by Washington, which gives them a relative advantage in the U.S. market.