The U.S. tariffs and sanctions were fully drafted but not yet signed, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The United States has reached an agreement with Colombia, which will now accept all Colombian illegal immigrants being deported by the former country, including those on U.S. military planes, according to the White House.
“The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President [Donald] Trump’s terms,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, “including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”
🚨The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms pic.twitter.com/mQocusSGOC
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 27, 2025
As an understanding has been reached, Leavitt said, the United States will hold in reserve the 25 percent tariffs that were announced by Trump earlier on Sunday, “unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement.”
The tariffs and sanctions were fully drafted but not yet signed, she said.
In a statement late on Sunday, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said: “We have overcome the impasse with the U.S. 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 statement did not specifically say that the agreement included military flights, but it did not contradict the White House announcement.
Murillo and Colombia’s ambassador to the United States will travel to Washington in coming days to follow up on agreements that led to the exchange of diplomatic notes between the two governments, the Colombian statement added.
The leaders of Colombia and the United States were considering escalating into a toe-to-toe tariff war on Sunday, when Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded to Trump’s announced tariff of 25 percent with his own 50 percent tariff.
Trump’s tariff—which was to increase to 50 percent in a week if officially imposed—was announced earlier on Sunday after Colombia refused to allow two U.S. military planes carrying illegal immigrants from Colombia to land.
Petro announced on the social media platform X that he was refusing to comply with the United States’ demands that he accept repatriated Colombians because “The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals.”
Trump responded by announcing emergency 25 percent tariffs on all Colombian exports, which would increase to 50 percent in seven days, alongside a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian officials and “all allies and supporters.”
By Melanie Sun
