A few days from Valentine's Day, commercial dispute with Colombia, threatens importation of flowers in the US

Three weeks of Valentine's Day and with Colombia as the main foreign source of cut flowers for the United States, the threat of President Donald Trump with imposing tariffs on the South American country shuddered the foundations of his buoyant sector and others.

The Threat of the president of the United StatesDonald Trump, to impose 25% tariff Colombia is the main foreign source of cut flowers for the United States.

However, lovers could be saved from being victims of a commercial dispute. The White House cried Victoria on Sunday, and said that Colombia had changed posture and agreed to allow flights to terrify, only hours after Trump threatened to impose visa restrictions, in addition to the high tariffs, his former ally in South America.

The White House said that Colombian exports tariffs would be suspended, but added that visa restrictions on Colombian officials and the largest customs inspections would remain “until the first Colombian deportees plane is successfully returned.”

Previously, Colombian president Gustavo Petro had rejected two US military planes to Colombia that transported migrants. Petro accused Trump of not treating migrants with dignity during deportation, and threatened to retaliate against the United States, imposing a 25% increase in Colombian tariffs on US assets.

The Colombian government pointed out Sunday night that the problem had been overcome.

We have “overcome the impasse” with the United States government, said Colombia Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. We will continue to receive Colombians who return as deported, “guaranteeing decent conditions as citizens subject to rights.”

The United States is Colombia's largest export market, but only represents 0.5% of American imports.

From January to November, the United States had a surplus of 1,000 million dollars with Colombia last year in goods, since US exports for 17.2 billion dollars – including soybeans and cotton – exceeded imports for 16,200 million.

These are Colombia's main exports to the United States:

Flowers

Until November, the United States had imported 1,140 million dollars in Corted Flowers from Colombia, more than imported throughout the year 2023, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Colombia has a climate and soil ideal for the cultivation of flowers such as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. Much of the crop focuses on the savanna around the capital, Bogotá. Temperatures are tempered, the sun shines 12 hours a day and the culture season lasts all year.

The US government has provided financial assistance that the Colombian flower industry has supported, creating jobs for people displaced by violence related to terrorism and drugs.

Coffee

Colombia is the second source of coffee for the United States after Brazil: USDA says that Colombian coffee imports amounted to $ 1.4 billion from January to November 2024, slightly below the same period of 2023.

For decades, Colombian coffee has been marketed in the United States through ads that present the fictional farmer Juan Valdez, often seen carrying bags of coffee beans.

Crude oil

Colombia's main export to the United States is crude oil. Until November, the United States had imported 70 million barrels of crude oil from Colombia, for a value of almost 5.4 billion dollars. In 2023, the United States imported 5.6 billion dollars in Colombian crude.

Colombia was the sixth source of crude oil imported by the United States, representing just over 3 % of oil imports in 2023. The Colombian oil company Ecopetrol is in the Fortune 500 registry of the world's largest companies.