Colombia raises customs duty on Chinese steel to 35%

The Colombian government signed decree 0264 on 16 March 2026, raising to 35% the customs duty applied to fourteen tariff subheadings covering steel and metal-mechanical products, including bars, sections, wire rod, tubes and metal staples, from countries with no trade agreement with Colombia, among them China, India, Russia and Turkey. The text partially amends decree 1881 of 2021, which has governed the Colombian customs tariff since January 2022.

According to the decree and the Colombian business press, imports from countries with no trade agreement account for between 80% and 90% of total imports on several of these subheadings, with duty increases reaching up to 290% on some tariff lines compared with the previous regime. The government cites the economic weight of Colombia's steel and metal-mechanical industry, around 10% of industrial GDP and 45,000 direct and indirect jobs according to the official text.

The measure took effect fifteen calendar days after its publication in the official gazette, in late March 2026, and remains valid for one year; after that period, Colombia's customs, tariff and foreign trade committee must reassess its impact. The Chinese embassy in Colombia publicly rejected the measure on 26 March 2026, arguing it would harm economic development and employment.

Any Colombian importer of Chinese steel or metal-mechanical products falling under the fourteen subheadings covered by decree 0264 is directly affected by the increase. Other categories of Chinese products imported into Colombia are not affected by this measure as of 27 September 2026.