In a move that feels more like a knee-jerk reaction than a carefully calibrated foreign policy decision, President Trump has launched tariffs and sanctions against Colombia, one of the United States’ staunchest allies in Latin America. Never one to shy away from a dramatic economic play, Trump has slapped tariffs and sanctions on Colombia for its audacious refusal to allow US military planes carrying deported migrants to land. Clearly, no one says “no” to Trump without repercussions.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump announced a sweeping 25% tariff on all Colombian goods entering the US, escalating to 50% within a week. For added flair, he also imposed travel restrictions on Colombian officials and unleashed “financial, banking, and Treasury sanctions.” The message was clear: “We won’t let Colombia flout its obligations to accept back the criminals it supposedly sent our way!”
The announcement sent global markets reeling on Monday, catching investors off guard. After all, they were just beginning to relax after Trump mercifully refrained from slapping immediate tariffs on China. Stocks dipped, the dollar rallied, and emerging market currencies like the Mexican peso and South African rand took a hit. Meanwhile, oil prices wobbled, with Brent crude slipping below $78 a barrel as traders braced for wider trade disruptions.
Colombia, one of Washington’s longstanding allies in Latin America, found itself suddenly on the wrong end of Trump’s wrath. President Gustavo Petro, already a sceptic of Trump’s policies, retaliated with his own 25% tariffs on US imports. His government vowed to support domestic industries to counteract the economic fallout, but experts doubt Colombia can win this game of brinkmanship.
The fallout could devastate Colombia’s fragile economy, especially considering its reliance on US trade. The Andean nation exports vital goods like oil, gold, coffee, and—timely for Valentine’s Day—cut flowers to the U.S. Petro initially seemed cooperative, agreeing to take back deported migrants. Still, his tune changed when military planes became part of the equation. It seems shackled and restrained deportees aboard American C-17s didn’t sit well with Colombian officials.
Trump’s move also underscores his broader strategy of using tariffs as a blunt geopolitical weapon. It’s a bold reminder to the world that allies, even longstanding ones, are dispensable if they refuse to toe the Trump line.
While Trump’s theatrics grab headlines, the economic stakes remain modest compared to his threats against more significant trading partners like Mexico and China.
However, the long-term consequences could be pretty harmful for the US. Colombia has been a linchpin in the US’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking, insurgencies, and regional instability. Trump’s impulsive decision risks derailing years of cooperation. If Colombia’s government weakens, the result could be a power vacuum ripe for exploitation by drug cartels, guerrilla forces, or neighbouring Venezuela—none of which will be sending thank-you notes to the White House.
Economically, this gambit is no less disastrous. Colombia is a major supplier of oil, coffee, and those all-important Valentine’s Day flowers. Slapping tariffs on these exports might appeal to Trump’s “America First” fan base, but the cost increases will hardly go unnoticed by US consumers. Meanwhile, Colombia’s already vulnerable economy could face destabilisation, pushing the region into further chaos and sending migration numbers northward—a scenario Trump claims to want to prevent.
Then there’s the diplomatic debacle. Alienating Colombia sends a message to other allies: loyalty to the US doesn’t come with guarantees. This could push countries like Colombia to seek closer ties with competitors such as China or Russia, neither of whom would hesitate to step into the void left by Washington’s retreat.
At home, Trump’s actions risk a bipartisan backlash. Colombia has been one of the few points of consensus in Congress, but this stunt risks alienating Democrats and Republicans who recognise the strategic value of the relationship. Florida, with its sizeable Colombian-American population, may also not take kindly to Trump’s heavy-handed approach.
Beyond the practical consequences, Trump’s amateurism is hard to ignore. Weaponising tariffs over disagreements about planes and migrants isn’t just short-sighted—it’s reckless. It reduces complex bilateral relations to a game of ultimatums, with no apparent endgame beyond Twitter applause.
If Trump aims to show strength, the result is the opposite. This move exposes a lack of strategic foresight, turning a reliable ally into an avoidable adversary. It’s a textbook lesson on squandering diplomatic capital and creating problems where none needed to exist. For all his bravado, Trump has forgotten one basic rule of foreign policy: even the strongest walls need good neighbours.