Colombia retracted its decision to refuse to receive immigrants whose citizens were deported from the United States, after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose strict customs tariffs of up to 25% on Colombian imports.
The Colombian government announced its agreement to all the conditions of the US administration, including unconditional acceptance of all deportees, even if they were returned via US military aircraft, according to what CNN reported.
In a televised statement, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo confirmed that his country “will continue to receive those returning to their homeland as deportees, while guaranteeing their rights and providing them with appropriate humanitarian conditions.” He also announced that deportation flights had resumed and that Colombia’s presidential plane would also be used to assist in repatriations.
Diplomatic tension and threats of economic escalation
The crisis began when Colombia refused to receive two American military planes carrying deported migrants, which prompted Trump to issue orders to impose customs tariffs of up to 25% on all Colombian imports to the United States, with a threat to increase them to 50% within a week if Colombia did not comply.
In addition, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Colombians and ordered heightened inspections of all shipments coming from Colombia.
The White House said in an official statement: “Today’s events prove to the world that America has become respected again. President Trump will continue to protect the sovereignty of the United States, and expects all countries to comply with receiving the deportees who belong to them.”
On the other hand, Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened to take retaliatory measures, including imposing customs tariffs on American products, but he was eventually forced to reverse his position after economic and political pressure, according to what the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
Direct effects
The tension between Colombia and the United States has led to widespread economic concerns, as Trump’s threats to impose tariffs of up to 25% nearly caused significant damage to the Colombian economy, especially in export sectors, according to the Associated Press.
Colombia relies mainly on the American market for its coffee and flower exports, as more than 500,000 farmers work in the coffee industry alone, while thousands of workers, especially women, depend on the flower sector. Any new tariffs would have led to a decline in American demand and higher unemployment rates.
While the Colombian peso recorded a decline of 3% after the escalation of the crisis, and the shares of export companies such as “Xpocafe” fell by 4.5%.
In addition, American investors have begun to reevaluate their investments in Colombia, as direct American investments there are estimated at approximately $7.2 billion annually.
Bloomberg believes that although an agreement was reached, the crisis revealed the fragility of trade relations between the two countries. It may push Colombia to diversify its trading partners by strengthening relations with the European Union and China to reduce its dependence on the United States.
“Colombia must prepare for any future escalation,” said Maria Claudia Lacouture, President of the American-Colombian Chamber of Commerce. “Market diversification is essential to protect our economy from unexpected trade shocks.”
Trade between America and Colombia
Colombia is an important trading partner of the United States, as the volume of trade exchange between the two countries in 2024 will reach about 40 billion dollars. Colombia exports a wide range of products to the United States, most notably:
- Coffee: Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee in the world, and the American market is its main consumer.
- Flowers: Colombia is the second largest exporter of flowers globally, with the United States importing about 80% of its flowers from Colombia.
- Oil and coal: Colombia is considered one of the largest exporters of oil and coal to America, as the energy sector constitutes a large part of its economy.
In contrast, Colombia depends on the United States to import many products, including:
- Technological and industrial equipment.
- Cars and spare parts.
- Medicines and medical products.
Trade deficit and the impact of tariffs
Despite the strong trade relations between the two countries, Colombia records a trade deficit with the United States, as its exports to America amounted to about $20 billion in 2024, while it imported goods worth $22 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Trump’s threats to impose new tariffs would have undermined the Colombian economy, especially in the coffee and flower sectors, where more than 500,000 Colombian farmers depend on coffee exports alone.
The president of the American Colombian Chamber of Commerce, Maria Claudia Lacouture, warned of the serious economic repercussions of these measures, saying: “In the coffee sector alone, more than half a million families depend on this industry. And in the flower sector, thousands of single mothers may lose their jobs. The repercussions will be devastating.” on the Colombian economy.
Colombian immigrants to the United States
According to the Associated Press, Colombia is one of the largest countries exporting immigrants to the United States, as estimates indicate that about 1.2 million Colombians live in America, of whom about 500,000 are in an illegal situation or suffer from problems related to their legal status.
The number of Colombian immigrants to the United States will rise by 20% in 2024, due to economic challenges and political unrest in the country.
The use of military aircraft in deportations sparked widespread anger within Colombia, as the government considered that these measures treated migrants as “criminals,” which prompted President Petro to initially refuse to accept the flights.
Criticism of deportation
Colombia was not the only country that criticized US deportations. Brazil also announced its rejection of the way deportees are returned.
The Brazilian authorities revealed that one of the American planes that landed in their country was carrying 88 migrants in handcuffs and chains, and that the plane was suffering from malfunctions in the ventilation systems.
Brazilian officials said that these conditions were inhumane and refused to allow the plane to continue its journey, forcing the United States to use Brazilian aircraft to transport the deportees to their final destination.
American escalation in the immigration issue
This escalation in the immigration file comes as part of a series of measures taken by Trump since his return to the White House, as he ordered the deployment of 1,500 additional soldiers on the border with Mexico to enhance security, raising the total number of forces there to 4,000 soldiers, according to CNN.
He also tightened deportation procedures, and threatened to impose economic sanctions on Latin American countries that do not cooperate in receiving deportees.
A Trump administration official told CNN: “No country can openly challenge the United States. We will make the world aware that non-compliance will have dire consequences.”
What’s next?
While Colombia appears to have escaped a major economic crisis at the last minute, this event reflects the challenges that other countries in Latin America will face as US immigration policies tighten, according to Bloomberg.
It also reflects the Trump administration’s tendency to use economic pressure as a tool to achieve political goals, an approach that may affect many countries in the coming years.
As Washington continues its strict immigration policy, thousands of Colombian immigrants and others in the United States face an unknown fate, as they may find themselves at any moment on board military planes heading to their country, in circumstances that arouse increasing international criticism.
