The United States will not impose tariffs on Colombia after the country agreed to accept deported migrants without restrictions, according to the White House.
Donald Trump had previously ordered a 25% tariff on all Colombian goods following President Gustavo Petro’s decision to block two US military deportation flights from landing in Colombia on Sunday. Initially, Petro had stated that his country would only accept deportees on civilian flights and would not treat them as criminals.
In a statement, the White House confirmed that Colombia has now agreed to accept migrants arriving on US military aircraft “without limitation or delay.” Colombia, in turn, emphasized that Washington has committed to treating repatriated citizens with dignity.
On Sunday, Petro had denied entry to US military deportation flights, insisting that migrants must be returned “with dignity and respect.” In response, Trump announced a series of “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” including tariffs and visa restrictions, in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. Petro countered with his own proposed tariffs and a message celebrating Colombia’s resilience, stating, “Your blockade does not scare me, because Colombia, besides being the country of beauty, is the heart of the world.”
The dispute was resolved within hours, with the White House announcing that Colombia had agreed to “all of President Trump’s demands.” However, the White House also warned that the proposed tariffs were “fully drafted” and could still be enforced if Colombia fails to uphold the agreement. Visa sanctions and enhanced border inspections for Colombian nationals will remain in place until the first group of deported Colombians arrives successfully.
