Trump orders tariffs on Colombia after rejected deportation flights
Trump says that he had directed his administration to implement "emergency 25 percent tariffs" on all Colombian goods entering the United States, which would rise to 50 percent in one week.
![Trump also said he would immediately revoke visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro - and subject Colombians to greater scrutiny at airports. / Photo: AP Trump also said he would immediately revoke visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro - and subject Colombians to greater scrutiny at airports. / Photo: AP](https://images-cdn.trtworld.com/trtworld/w664/h374/q70/21483251_0-441-6000-3378.jpeg)
Trump also said he would immediately revoke visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro - and subject Colombians to greater scrutiny at airports. / Photo: AP
US President Donald Trump has ordered sweeping tariffs and sanctions against Colombia in retaliation for its refusal to accept deportation flights, doubling down on his immigration crackdown as he sought to silence a chorus of defiance in Latin America.
Trump, back in the office for less than a week, said on Sunday he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on Colombian products that would rise to 50 percent in a week.
His authority to do so was unclear as Colombia, historically one of Washington's closest allies in Latin America, enjoys a free-trade agreement with the United States.
Trump also said he would immediately revoke visas for Colombian government officials and "supporters" of President Gustavo Petro - and subject Colombians to greater scrutiny at airports.
"These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the United States!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump took office with promises to round up and swiftly deport foreigners unlawfully in the United States, but has faced resistance from Petro, elected in 2022 as the first left-wing leader of Latin America's fourth-largest economy.
They are not 'criminals'
"The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants," Petro wrote on X.
In a later post, he said he had "turned back US military planes." Trump said two US planes were not allowed to land.
The Colombian government said it was instead ready to send its presidential plane to the United States to transport "with dignity" the migrants whose flights were blocked by Bogota.
Petro also said he was ready to allow civilian US flights carrying deported migrants to land, as long as those on board were not treated "like criminals."
The Colombian leader later said more than 15,600 undocumented Americans were living in his country and urged them to "regularise their situation," while ruling out raids to arrest and deport them.
In retaliation to Trump's announcement, Petro also posted on X that he had ordered the foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs on the US by 25%."