US puts Colombia tariff, sanctions threat on hold after deportations deal

WASHINGTON/BOGOTA — The US and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday (Jan 26) after the White House said the South American nation had agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.

US President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions on Colombia to punish it for earlier refusing to accept military flights carrying deportees as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown.

But in a statement late on Sunday, the White House said Colombia had agreed to accept the migrants after all and Washington would not impose its threatened penalties.

"The Government of Colombia has 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," it said.

Draft orders imposing tariffs and sanctions on Colombia would be "held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honour this agreement", it added.

In a statement late on Sunday, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said: "We have overcome the impasse with the US government".

"The government of Colombia... has the presidential plane ready to facilitate the return of Colombians who were going to arrive in the country this morning on deportation flights."

The draft measures included imposing 25 per cent tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into the US, which would go up to 50 per cent in one week; a travel ban and visa revocations on Colombian government officials; and emergency treasury, banking and financial sanctions.

Trump also said he would also direct enhanced border inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States had suspended visa processing at the US embassy in Bogota.

Colombia is the third largest US trading partner in Latin America, while the US is Colombia's largest trading partner.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro earlier condemned the military deportation flights and said he would never carry out a raid to return handcuffed Americans to the US

"We are the opposite of the Nazis," he wrote in a post on social media platform X.

But he also said Colombia would welcome home deported migrants on civilian planes, and offered his presidential plane to facilitate their "dignified return".

Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency and imposed a sweeping crackdown since taking office last Monday. He directed the US military to help with border security, issued a broad ban on asylum and took steps to restrict citizenship for children born on US soil.

Mexico also refused a request last week to let a US military aircraft land with migrants.

Trump has said he is thinking about imposing 25 per cent duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb 1 to force further action against illegal immigrants and fentanyl flowing into the US

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