The White House announced that the U.S. will not impose tariffs on Colombia after the country's authorities reversed their decision and agreed to accept flights from the United States carrying deported illegal migrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods after Colombian President Gustavo Petro denied landing rights to two U.S. military planes carrying deportees on Sunday.
Initially, Petro stated that his country would not accept migrants from the U.S. on "civilian aircraft" and expressed hope that the Trump administration would treat Colombian migrants with "dignity and respect."
However, on Sunday evening, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt announced that Colombia "agreed to all of President Trump's conditions, including the unlimited acceptance of all Colombian illegal migrants being returned from the U.S., including on U.S. military aircraft, without restrictions and delays."
Previously, Trump had ordered a 25% tariff on all imports from Colombia, with plans to increase it to 50% within a week, as well as to tighten customs and border checks on Colombian citizens and cargo, alongside other retaliatory measures after Petro refused to accept the planes.
"We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of criminals," Trump emphasized while announcing the planned sanctions.
Petro accused Trump of mistreating migrants during deportations and announced a retaliatory tariff increase of 25%. However, just hours later, Colombian authorities changed their stance on the matter. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a way out of the "deadlock" had been found.
"The Colombian government informs that the deadlock with the U.S. government has been overcome," the document shared on social media states.
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The Colombian Foreign Ministry added that the head of the agency, Luis Gilberto Murillo, will soon visit Washington for working meetings and to exchange diplomatic notes. Murillo assured that the country would accept Colombians returning as deportees and guarantee them "decent conditions."
They even promised to send a presidential plane for the return of Colombian illegal migrants.
American media remind that the U.S. is Colombia's largest trading partner. In 2022, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $53.5 billion.
On his first day in office, Trump signed several executive orders regarding illegal migrants, promising "mass deportations."
On Sunday, U.S. authorities conducted a series of arrests of illegal migrants in Chicago.
On Friday, two U.S. military planes carrying 160 migrants deported from the U.S. landed in Guatemala.