Colombia made the wrong move by refusing a couple of deportation flights. Americans really love Colombian coffee but we won’t mind buying our beans from other countries for a while. The nation’s rash decision resulted in a fast 25 percent tariff. If they don’t take the next load, it goes up to 50 percent next week. The move may anger American caffeine junkies but the Colombian treasury will go bankrupt if they don’t back down fast.
Tariffs on Colombia
On Sunday, January 26, President Donald Trump issued “tariffs on Colombia after two repatriation flights of undocumented migrants were not allowed to land.”
This, CNN reports in a fluster is “the first retaliatory action the Trump administration has taken against another country over immigration issues.” They imply they’re afraid it won’t be the last.
Right now, “all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia” are subject to a 25% tariff. In one week, it “will be raised to 50%.” Their president isn’t happy about it but it was all his fault.
“Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Sunday that he is halting U.S. deportation flights.” As two military planes were getting ready to land there. The reason he gave is the U.S. “can’t treat Colombian migrants like criminals.” We can if they are.
Trump counters back that Petro’s refusal is “a threat to U.S. national security and public safety.” By denying the flights permission to land Colombia “violated international obligations to accept criminals being repatriated.”
Tariffs weren’t the only penalties. Trump put in place a travel ban for Colombian citizens and revoked the visas of Colombian officials in the U.S. along with “all allies and supporters.”

Just the beginning
On top of that, “Trump also ordered stricter inspections of cargo shipments arriving from Colombia,” along with banking, finance and visa sanctions on “all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.” These measures, the president declared “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!”
It didn’t take long for Colombia to respond. President Petro went on X to throw a tantrum. “Trump, I don’t really like traveling to the U.S., it’s a bit boring.”

He’s imposing a matching 25 percent tariff on all goods coming to his country from United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in on the controversy.
The president of Colombia, Rubio notes, “had authorized flights and provided all needed authorizations and then canceled his authorization when the planes were in the air. As demonstrated by today’s actions, we are unwavering in our commitment to end illegal immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
Petro answered back. “I will never allow Colombians to be brought in handcuffs on flights. Marco, if officials from the Foreign Ministry allowed this, it would never be under my direction.” Colombia isn’t the only country that grows good coffee.