Reuters
[ Source : Reuters ]
The U.S. and Colombia lurched toward a trade war.
On Sunday as President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions on the country to punish it for turning away military aircraft carrying migrants being deported as part of his immigration crackdown.
Colombia, the third largest U.S. trading partner in Latin America, swiftly responded, with leftist President Gustavo Petro first threatening a 50% tariff on U.S. goods and later posting on X that he had directed his trade minister to increase tariffs on U.S. imports by 25%.
Colombia is the second Latin American nation to refuse U.S. military deportation flights. Trump’s punitive action demonstrated his more muscular U.S. foreign policy and his renewed willingness to force countries to bend to his will.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Petro’s refusal to accept the flights jeopardized U.S. national security.
The retaliatory measures include imposing 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into the U.S., which will go up to 50% in one week; a travel ban and visa revocations on Colombian government officials; and emergency treasury, banking and financial sanctions.
