By: Kevin Gonzalez, 3L
During the first week of his second term as President of the United States, Donald Trump’s administration deported 110 Colombian immigrants using military planes as part of his immigration crackdown. Colombia refused to allow the planes to land, citing the use of military planes as the reason for their denial. In response, Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods which would increase to 50% one week later, along with emergency treasury, banking, and financial sanctions, which would have an “immense impact” on the Colombian economy.
As tensions escalated between Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, an agreement was reached between Colombian and U.S. diplomats. Under this agreement, the U.S. would refrain from imposing the threatened tariffs and sanctions, while Colombia would send an Air Force plane to retrieve the 110 Colombian citizens, ensuring that they would be treated with dignity.
The United States is Colombia’s largest trading partner, accounting for 34% of Colombia’s total trade. The threatened tariffs and sanctions, if imposed, have the potential to devastate the Colombian economy. While the U.S. economy is significantly larger than Colombia’s, it would not be immune to the consequences of a potential trade war between the two nations. U.S. petroleum product manufacturers conducted approximately $2.5 billion in business with Colombia in 2023, followed by $1.2 billion in corn exports and $1 billion in chemicals. Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. imports about 27% of its coffee from Colombia.
This event has served as a warning to US allies and adversaries alike— “[t]oday’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump … expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States,” —stated the White House. However, Trump’s nominee for deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, has argued that fostering cooperation with other countries to stop illegal migration should be a priority for the U.S. in advancing foreign policy. This event, however, may make such cooperation much more difficult and less likely.
Furthermore, the American public may react negatively to these tactics because threatened tariffs could lead to higher prices for U.S. consumers. Only time will tell whether the public is willing to endure financial burdens to support Trump’s immigration priorities. In the first week of Donald Trump’s second term as the President of the United States, he appears to have made a bold opening move and sent a strong message to the global community.
