The Trump Administration has debuted the use of one of its strongest weapons, the spending power of the American people, against Colombia. With a sweeping tariffs announcement, Trump compelled the Colombian government to accept repatriation flights, ending a 1-day crisis swiftly.
The Trump Administration Debuts Tariffs as a Trade Warfare Tool: Colombia Sheds First Blood
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Tariffs, Tariffs, Tariffs: Trump’s ‘Tradefare’ Weapon to End Colombia’s Deportee Crisis
The Trump Administration recently used one of its most powerful weapons, the spending power of the U.S. people, to end a national security crisis. In an international diplomatic incident, tariffs were the tool selected to end Colombia’s decision not to receive deportees from the U.S.
On January 27th, Colombian President Gustavo Petro prompted this crisis, returning two repatriation flights that, according to President Trump’s allegations, carried a “large number of illegal criminals.”
Immediately, the U.S. government announced the enactment of 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods imported to the country, and a raise to 50% the following week, among other measures.
The determination of the Colombian government did not last even a day, as the Colombian foreign ministry issued a release noting that the returned flights would be accepted to guarantee their rights as right-bearing citizens.
The incident was the first time that Trump used tariffs as an effective ‘tradefare’ (trade warfare) tool, ending an impasse that jeopardized the application of U.S. migration policies.
Colombian migrants are part of the multi-national wave of people trying to get to the U.S. to improve their economic situation and the lack of opportunities in their country. In 2023, 170,000 Colombian nationals were arrested for irregular entry, establishing a new record.
Trump has recently also scored another win, reaching an agreement with the Chinese government to accept deported migrants back to their country after the Colombian impasse was solved.
“China will receive people who are confirmed as Chinese nationals from the mainland after verification,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. Over 200,000 undocumented Chinese migrants were in America in 2022, and the numbers could be larger now.
These results show that President Trump’s “tariff scare” policies can be effective, even if their application, especially against larger economies like China, could bring unintended consequences.
Read more: Trade War: As Trump Threatens China With 10% Tariffs, Asian Giant Prepares Countermeasures
