US President Trump says US will impose emergency 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into US, doubling a week later to 50%
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US will impose sanctions on Colombia over its refusal to accept flights of deported migrants.
"I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, adding that he has directed his administration to take “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures."
Trump said he will impose emergency 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into US, to be doubled a week later to 50%.
He also announced that US will impose a travel ban and immediately revoke US visas granted to Colombian officials as well as all allies and supporters.
His remarks came right after Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he had blocked US military aircraft carrying deported Colombians.
"A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that every human being deserves. That is why I ordered the return of US military planes carrying Colombian migrants," Petro said on X.
US advocates for immigrants have argued that people seeking asylum – irregular migrants – are not criminals, a word Trump has used to denigrate and denounce would-be migrants.
- 'These measures are just the beginning'
The new measures also include enhanced customs and border protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo on the grounds of national security.
The president said he will impose emergency treasury, banking, and financial sanctions on Columbia.
Petro turning back the flights has jeopardized US national security and public safety, Trump argued.
"These measures are just the beginning," he warned.
"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.
