The Minister in charge of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Cielo Rusinque, told the press that the final adjustment to the letters were completed today, one of which will be addressed to the US Trade Representative and the other to the Secretary of Commerce.

“The main clarification we are making is that we are not resorting to scenarios provided for in the dispute resolution mechanism, but rather we are expressing our willingness to enter into a negotiation process,” the official stated. He commented that, taking into account the scenario, which he described as uncertain, the damages, but also the comparative advantages, that the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump could bring to Colombia are being evaluated.

Rusinque also announced that, at Washington’s initiative, the delegate of that government’s trade representative will visit Colombia at the end of the month to review issues of the bilateral partnership within the framework of the trade agreement, in force between the two countries since 2012.

Furthermore, he assured that Colombia will seek to multiply potential markets for Colombian products and strengthen its export portfolio.

“The current situation confirms the need to continue embarking more quickly on this path toward diversification so as not to become superlatively dependent on one of our trade relations, the United States,” he emphasized.

The northern nation is Colombia’s main trading partner, and exports to that destination in 2024 accounted for 29 percent of the total, he acknowledged.

He insisted, however, that the idea defended by the Executive Branch is to diversify markets by prioritizing multilateral relations that strengthen integration mechanisms, such as the Latin American bloc, and generate greater balance and better conditions for Colombians on the international stage.

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