SECOND UPDATE: US President Slaps Tariffs on All Colombian Goods, including Coffee, Cocoa
SECOND UPDATE: US President Slaps Tariffs on All Colombian Goods, including Coffee, Cocoa
(Adds fresh new Colombian tariffs on US’s goods, FNC’s general manager comments)
Coffee Network (Bogota) –Colombian exports to the US including those of coffee and cocoa among others are running serious threat of failing to enter the US after the US president Donald Trump slapped tariffs of 25% on Colombian exports after Colombian president refused to take back migrants.
Trump said he enacted a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the US from Colombia, which will be raised to 50% in one week, after two repatriation flights of undocumented migrants were not allowed to land in Colombia.
In a retaliating message, President Petro responded by slapping 50% tariff on US goods exported to Colombia, marking the beginning of the trade war, which Trump had anticipated.
Javier Diaz, the president of Colombian exporters association Analdex, who oversees the coffee exporters association said it is “extremely serious” the tariffs, while condemned Petro’s rejections to accept the two flights coming from the US.
“I find the measures announced by Trump against the Colombian government and its officials and the country as extremely serious. This affects our exports but also Colombians willing to travel to the US,” Diaz said.
Colombia exported 11.018 million 60-kg bags in January-November, of which 4.344 million bags were shipped to the United States, according to the country’s coffee exporters association Asoexport. Currently, coffee enters the US without tariffs.
Coffee exports to the US were worth US$1.29 billion as of November, compared with $1.35 billion in full year 2023, the coffee growers federation said.
German Bahamon, FNC’s general manager, said diplomacy requires moderation.
“States build and maintain their relationship in a permanent negotiation, which is based on diplomacy. Diplomacy requires moderation because an unfortunate decision can lead to an economic impact of devastating consequences,” he said.
The US is by far the largest buyer of Colombia coffee as Canada was the second-largest buyer of coffee, securing a distant 826,152 bags. Belgium is next after it purchased 802,168 bags.
It is uncertain if the US buyer is willing to pay the surcharge generated on the tariffs as it is the buyer who pays the tariffs. US importers most likely would prefer buying beans from other nations that are exempted from tariffs, said the coffee analyst Guillermo Trujillo.
Trujillo said the agricultural industry must wait and see whether Trump issues the regulation that imposes the tariffs. Trujillo said Colombia is in the hands of two crazy presidents, Trump and Petro.
The Colombian-US chamber of commerce Amcham said :“If the US imposes emergency tariffs of 25% (and then 50%) on Colombian products, the impact will be immediate and devastating. The process is fast, does not require approval from Congress and will seriously affect our economy,” María Claudia Lacouture said.
In coffee alone, more than 500 thousand families depend on this sector. In flowers, thousands of single mothers would lose their livelihood.
A calm and responsible diplomatic action is urgent. Colombia must welcome its citizens, avoiding exposing them to vulnerability and the violation of their fundamental rights. We cannot allow a migration crisis to become an economic disaster, Lacourture said.
Trump said: "These measures are just the beginning," Trump wrote on social media site Truth Social. "We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!"
Petro condemned the practice of deporting Colombian illegals, suggesting the US is treating migrants like criminals. In a post on social media platform X, Petro said Colombia would welcome home deported migrants on civilian planes, saying they should be treated with dignity and respect.
"The U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals," he wrote, noting that there were 15,660 Americans without proper immigration status in Colombia.
Trump also imposed travel bans and immediate revocation of visas for Colombian government officials and all of their allies and supporters.
Trump also said visa sanctions for all party members, family members, and supporters of the Colombian government.
He will also enhance Customs and Border Protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo for national security reasons. -IEEPA sanctions on Treasury, Banking, and Finance will be imposed in full, he added.
By Diana Delgado
