US President Donald Trump instigated his first international tariff dispute against Colombia after the Latin American country refused to accept two military aircraft deporting immigrants. On Sunday, Trump unleashed a volley of tariffs and sanctions targeting the South American country. In retaliation, the Colombian government also slapped tariffs on American imports.
The US, as per Trump, will immediately impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Colombian imports, and will spike them to 50 per cent within one week.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said that his administration will "fully impose" banking and financial sanctions on Colombia. The measures include a travel ban and the revocation of visas for Colombian government officials.
Trump further said that Petro's decision to not accept the flights jeopardized US national security.
He also threatened to enhance border inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo.
"These measures are just the beginning," he wrote. "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," he added.
Colombia, the third-largest US trading partner in Latin America, responded swiftly by threatening a 50 percent tariff on American goods. President Gustavo Petro later announced on X that he had instructed his trade minister to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on US imports.
Addressing Trump directly, President Petro posed a pointed question, suggesting the US president might be seeking his removal from power.
“You don’t like our freedom, fine,” Petro declared. “I do not shake hands with white enslavers,” he added.
