Trump issuing ‘emergency 25% tariffs’ against Colombia after country turned back deportation flights

CNN —
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced retaliatory tariffs on Colombia after its president said he blocked US military deportation flights, the first instance of Trump using economic pressure to force other nations to fall in line with his mass deportation plans since he took office last week.
Earlier in the day, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced he had blocked two US military flights carrying migrants heading toward the country and called on the United States to establish better protocols in its treatment of migrants. Petro also left the door open to receiving repatriated migrants traveling on civilian planes.
Following Petro’s announcement, Trump criticized him on social media while announcing a slate of new sanctions and policies targeting Colombia, including a 25% tariff on all imports from the country, a “travel ban” for Colombian citizens, and a revocation of visas for Colombian officials in the US along with “all allies and supporters.”
Trump also ordered stricter inspections of cargo shipments arriving from Colombia, along with banking and finance sanctions and visa sanctions on “all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.”
“These measures are just the beginning. 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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s reaction to Colombia’s rejection of repatriated citizens marks the first major clash with another country over immigration issues since he began his second term.
The US began using military aircraft to return immigrants who entered the country illegally back to their countries of origin last week. On Thursday, the US returned migrants to Guatemala using military planes.
The US is also asking Mexico with help repatriating its nationals via land ports of entry along the US-Mexico border, though Mexico also appeared to turn around a military flight heading for the country last week.
Colombia is not a major trading partner with the United States, shipping roughly $14 billion worth of goods in 2023, the most recent full year of data according to Comtrade, an authority on trade data. Most of Colombia’s exports to the United States were minerals, oil, metals and coffee.
Coffee prices have shot higher over the past year, and this move by the Trump administration could eventually make prices even more expensive for American consumers. That’s because importers pay the tariffs and often pass the increased prices on to consumers.
Although tariffs can be an effective negotiating tool, they are generally disliked by economists, who believe they are inflationary and can ignite trade wars, which send prices even higher. That is not a universally held view, though. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, recently told CNBC that if tariffs help with national security and cause a little bit of inflation than people should “get over it.”
But Trump has promised across-the-board tariffs on other countries as soon as this week if their goods aren’t manufactured in the United States. Those tariffs could dramatically boost prices for Americans.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s David Goldman contributed to this report.