President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he will, at least for now, hold off on his egregious threat to impose tariffs on Colombia after the nation agreed to accept deported migrants, who were being returned to the country by U.S. military planes.
Notably, this move represented a turn from Trump’s plan just hours prior. Earlier on Sunday, he vowed to impose steep tariffs and visa restrictions on Colombia after it turned away two deportation flights.
At one point, it looked like we were headed toward a trade war. That was narrowly averted, though, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro agreed to accept the deportees. Trump, of course, claimed victory and said that the South American nation had caved to his authoritarian demands.
The clash reflects how the Trump administration is ready to make examples of foreign countries that attempt to impede on his plans, specifically those that will likely target immigrants seeking asylum or shelter in the United States.
So how did we get here—and is a trade war looming?
Trump hasn’t been shy about his intent to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, announcing a flurry of executive actions targeting immigrants on Day One of his second term.
But foreign nations aren’t necessarily on board with Trump’s hardline plans. On Sunday, Petro refused to let two U.S. military aircrafts, which were carrying deported Colombian immigrants, land on Colombian soil, as he demanded the deportees to be treated humanely instead of as political props.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro
“A migrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity a human being deserves,” Petro posted on social media. “We will receive our nationals in civilian airplanes, without treating them as criminals. Colombia must be respected.”
In a separate post, Petro shared a video of immigrants, who were reportedly sent back to Brazil, walking on an airplane tarmac with restraints around their hands and feet.
It’s important to note that Petro didn’t refuse to take back the Colombian immigrants. According to data from Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data, Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights between 2020 and 2024, making it the fifth country to accept the most deportation flights behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador.
Petro’s issue with accepting deportation flights this go-around was how these immigrants were brought back. Petro wanted them to be returned via presidential plane or nonmilitary flight, arguing that it would be more dignified than how Trump and his cronies preferred to operate.
But since Trump’s past statements suggest he cares little—if at all—about the treatment of non-U.S. citizens, the request to treat immigrants with an ounce of decency was one that he couldn’t accept. Following Petro’s social media posts, Trump instigated a trade war by threatening Colombia with tariffs and sanctions.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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!”
During a back-and-forth between U.S. and Colombian officials, Trump upped his threats and ordered a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods entering the United States. After one week, he said, tariffs would then be raised to 50%.
Trump also said that he would impose “visa sanctions” and a “travel ban and immediate visa revocations” on Colombian government officials and their allies while enforcing even stricter border inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo.
In response, Petro posted a series of defiant messages, in which he promised a retaliatory 25% tariff on all U.S. goods.
“Your blockade does not scare me, because Colombia, besides being the country of beauty, is the heart of the world,” he wrote.
The two sides have reached—at least for now—what reads like a shaky agreement.
Late Sunday, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said the two nations have “overcome the impasse.” As a result, Colombia would accept its citizens who are deported from the United States via military planes. But in the future, Murillo noted that Colombia’s presidential aircraft would be available to facilitate the return of immigrants.
Of course, the Trump administration put its own spin on the news. In a statement on Sunday, the White House said that, since Petro had agreed to all of Trump’s terms, the tariffs and sanctions Trump once threatened would be “held in reserve.” The visa sanctions, however, would remain in effect until the first planeload of deportees arrive in Colombia.
“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
It should be noted that a trade war would have had huge implications. According to the Associated Press, Colombia is the fourth-largest overseas supplier of crude oil to the United States. Imposing tariffs would also make items such as fresh-cut flowers and coffee more expensive for U.S. consumers. After all, Colombia accounts for 20% of coffee shipped to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
And Colombia would have also suffered, as the United States is the nation’s largest trading partner.
But now we know what happens when countries refuse to bow to Trump’s threats: Not only will he throw a very public tantrum, but he’ll impulsively threaten a very expensive trade war until he gets his way.
Just look at Canada and Mexico. We knew that Trump was impetuous and petty and held grudges against anyone who dares to cross him, but this latest episode shows just how unhinged Trump will be during his second term.
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