US President Donald Trump has said he will impose 25 percent tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after its President barred two US military planes carrying deported migrants from landing in the country.
Trump said the tariffs “on all goods” coming into the US from Colombia would be put in place “immediately”, and in one week the 25 percent tariffs would be raised to 50 percent.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded by saying he would impose retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent on the US.
Petro earlier on Sunday said he had denied entry to US military deportation flights. He said he would “receive our fellow citizens on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals” and migrants must be returned “with dignity and respect”.
US officials told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, that two military planes from San Diego were due to land in Colombia on Sunday with migrant deportees, but those plans were scrapped due to complications.
In response, Trump announced “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures” in a post on TruthSocial. He said the US will impose a travel ban and “immediate visa revocations” on Colombian government officials, as well as its allies and supporters.
Trump also said there would be visa sanctions on supporters of the Colombian government, and enhanced Customs and Border Protection inspections “of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds”.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump added, saying his administration would 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”.
Petro responded on X by announcing his own tariffs and celebrating Colombia’s heritage and resilience.
“Your blockade does not scare me, because Colombia, besides being the country of beauty, is the heart of the world,” he said.
He also offered his presidential plane to facilitate the “decent return” of deportees from the US who had been set to arrive in the country.
Also on Sunday, Petro said more than 15,666 Americans were in Colombia illegally – a figure the BBC has not been able to independently verify.
Petro said that unlike the Trump administration, he would “never” be seen carrying out a raid to return illegal US migrants.
The US imports about 20 percent of its coffee – worth nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) – from Colombia, as well as other goods like bananas, crude oil, avocados and flowers.
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