Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Colombia as deported migrant flights denied

US President Donald Trump has stated he’ll impose 25% tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after its president barred two US navy planes carrying deported migrants from touchdown within the nation.

Trump stated the tariffs “on all items” coming into the US from Colombia can be put in place “instantly”, and in a single week the 25% tariffs can be raised to 50%.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded by saying he would impose 50% tariffs on the US.

Petro earlier on Sunday stated he had denied entry to US navy deportation flights. He stated he would “obtain our fellow residents on civilian planes, with out treating them like criminals” and migrants should be returned “with dignity and respect”.

US officers informed the BBC’s US companion, CBS Information, that two navy planes from San Diego have been resulting from land in Colombia on Sunday with migrant deportees, however these plans have been scrapped resulting from problems.

In response, Trump introduced “pressing and decisive retaliatory measures” in a put up on TruthSocial. He stated the US will impose a journey ban and “fast visa revocations” on Colombian authorities officers, in addition to its allies and supporters.

Trump additionally stated there can be visa sanctions on supporters of the Colombian authorities, and enhanced Customs and Border Safety inspections “of all Colombian nationals and cargo on nationwide safety grounds”.

“These measures are only the start,” Trump added, saying his administration wouldn’t enable the Colombian authorities “to violate its authorized obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the criminals they compelled into the US”.

Petro responded on X by saying his personal tariffs and celebrating Colombia’s heritage and resilience.

“Your blockade doesn’t scare me, as a result of Colombia, apart from being the nation of magnificence, is the guts of the world,” he stated.

He additionally provided his presidential aircraft to facilitate the “first rate return” of deportees from the US who had been set to reach within the nation.

Additionally on Sunday, Petro stated greater than 15,666 Individuals have been in Colombia illegally – a determine the BBC has not been in a position to independently confirm.

Petro stated that not like the Trump administration, he would “by no means” be seen finishing up a raid to return unlawful US migrants.

The US imports about 20% of its espresso – price almost $2bn (£1.6bn) – from Colombia, in addition to different items like bananas, crude oil, avocados and flowers.

Tariffs will make importing these items dearer which, if handed onto the buyer, might imply increased espresso costs rising.

Importers might shift to different sources to keep away from this, which might in flip hit Colombian producers by decreasing a key market.

The sanctions and journey bans on the Colombian authorities and its supporters, and the breakdown in diplomatic relations that indicators, are additionally important.

That is no longer only a battle of commerce, however a confrontation.

It’s no secret that Petro doesn’t like Trump – he has closely criticised his insurance policies on migration and the setting prior to now. That simply ratcheted up.

Petro stated Trump would “wipe out the human species due to greed” and accused Trump of contemplating Colombians an “inferior race.” He went on to say that he’s “cussed” and that whereas Trump can attempt to “perform a coup” with “financial energy and conceitedness” he’ll, in brief, combat again.

“From right now on, Colombia is open to the whole world, with open arms,” he stated.

Whereas Trump is unlikely to take threats from Colombia, that is one thing that ought to fear a US president who needs to sort out migration.

Trump’s personal choose for deputy secretary of state, Christopher Landau, has argued that “working with different international locations to cease such migratory flows” should be a “international crucial of US international coverage”.

Tens of 1000’s of migrants from world wide head north in the direction of the US after touchdown in South America every year, travelling up by way of Colombia, normally facilitated by felony gangs.

The most recent developments will little doubt make it more durable for Trump’s administration to work with Colombia to cease this.

The feud between the 2 nations comes as Trump’s administration has vowed to hold out “mass deportations”. The president signed a number of government orders associated to immigration on his first day in workplace.

A few of Trump’s government orders have been signed with the purpose of increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) skill to arrest and detain illegal migrants on US soil.

White Home spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that 538 arrests have been carried out on Thursday alone.

For comparability, ICE detained greater than 149,700 folks within the 2024 fiscal yr below the Biden administration, which equals a median of 409 a day.

Trump declared a nationwide emergency on the Mexico border, ordered officers to disclaim the proper to citizenship to the kids of migrants within the US illegally or on short-term visas and re-implemented his “Stay in Mexico” coverage from his first time period.

On Saturday, US Vice President JD Vance informed CBS’s Face the Nation that he helps “doing legislation enforcement towards violent criminals”.

“Simply because we have been based by immigrants does not imply that 240 years later that we’ve got to have the dumbest immigration coverage on this planet,” he informed CBS’s Margaret Brennan.

Tom Homan, Trump’s “border tsar” informed ABC Information on Sunday that the navy is at the moment on the US-Mexico border serving to with departure flights on navy planes and constructing infrastructure to safe the border.

“It is sending a powerful sign to the world: Our border is closed,” he stated.

Trump campaigned on securing the southern border and decreasing the variety of undocumented immigrants who enter the US.