US-Colombia tariff war halts as Colombian President accepts plane with ‘illegal aliens’

The Donald Trump administration of the United States on Sunday paused the sanctions it imposed on Colombia after the South American nation took a U-turn on deportation flights.

Colombia’s government “agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Leavitt said the tariff orders will be “held in reserve, and not signed.” But Leavitt said Trump would maintain visa restrictions on Colombian officials and enhanced customs inspections of goods from the country, “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”

“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,” the statement added.

US-Colombia tarriff war averted

Colombia took a U-turn regarding the deportation planes, after initial refusal to accept flights, as Donald Trump slapped sanctions in retaliation.

The standoff started when Columbian President Gustavo Petro announced blocking 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.

Trump and Petro, in a series of social media posts, defended their views on migration, with the latter accusing Trump of not treating immigrants with dignity during deportation and announcing a retaliatory 25 per cent increase in Colombian tariffs on US goods.

Caving to the pressure from the US, Petro arranged for the presidential plane to facilitate the “dignified return” of Colombian nationals who were deported to the country, a statement by the President’s office said.

The Colombian government has also formed a ‘dedicated team’ that would ensure “dignified treatment” of deported Colombians. With that, the potential tarriff war has been averted, at least for now.