(28 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chia, Colombia – 27 January 2025
++PART MUTE FROM SOURCE++
1. Aerial shot of flower crops in Chia, north of Bogota
2. Workers in flower growing facility
3. Roses being grown
4. Various of employees cutting roses
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia – 27 January 2025
5. Augusto Solano Mejia during interview
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Augusto Solano Mejia, President of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters:
“I think there is still uncertainty and there is still some tension. Fortunately, what happened yesterday has been resolved in time for Valentine’s Day season. Valentine’s Day season is one of the two most important seasons of the year for floriculture and that was already underway, and there were already many flights going out."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chia, Colombia – 27 January 2025
7. Various shots of employees preparing the flowers that will be shipped to the United States
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bogota, Colombia – 27 January 2025
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Augusto Solano Mejia, President of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters:
"Well, you always have to be attentive because things in the world are changing rapidly and this change in the United States really implies new rules of the game.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chia, Colombia – 27 January 2025
9. Various of flower grower employees preparing flowers to be shipped to the US
10. Various of flowers already packed in boxes to be sent to the US
11. Aerial shot of farm growing roses and flowers
STORYLINE:
Colombian growers hope their coveted flowers will delight many in the United States on Valentine’s Day following a dispute between the two countries that nearly led to a trade war.
While a bilateral agreement easing the measures was reached between the two nations, Colombian flower growers were left feeling uneasy.
The diplomatic drama between Colombia and the United States sparked on Sunday when the Colombian government refused to accept repatriation flights of its citizens from the U.S.
President Gustavo Petro considered that the arrival in U.S. military planes was an affront to their dignity and conditioned it to their return in “civilian planes.”
President Donald Trump ordered to impose tariffs of 25% on all incoming Colombian products, which would be increased to 50% in a week, as well as other sanctions such as visa restrictions.
Petro responded by announcing a 25% tariff hike on imports from the United States.
For the flower sector, these were some of the most stressful hours they have experienced in decades since the United States is their main market and the destination of 80% of their production.
"Valentine’s Day season is one of the two most important seasons of the year for floriculture and that was already underway, and there were already many flights going out," said Augusto Solano Mejia, President of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters.
Colombia expects to export to the U.S. more than 60,000 tons of flowers for the upcoming Valentine’s Day season.
Floriculture generates more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs in Colombia, in addition to other suppliers such as agrochemical and packaging companies.
As of November, the United States had imported $1.14 billion in cut flowers from Colombia, more than it imported in all of 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In addition to flowers, Colombia exports coffee, manufactured goods, fruits such as bananas and hydrocarbons to the United States.
AP video shot by Ivan Valencia and Marko Alvarez
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