Why Valentine’s Day roses imported through Miami may be more expensive: When Valentine’s Day is approaching, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists are busy inspecting flowers imported into the U.S. at the Miami International Airport (MIA) because nearly 90% of all flowers entering the U.S. come from Ecuador and Colombia.
The flowers, nuts and fruits imported from Colombia might become more expensive due to the 25% tariffs announced by Donald Trump on Sunday. His proposition came because Colombia had denied U.S. military planes fuel and permission to land in their country after deporting migrants.
Trump also said that these actions are only the beginning. He added that the Colombian government should not violate any legal obligations incurred by the perpetrators that fled to the U.S. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro hastily reacted and proposed a 25% tax on U.S. imports into Colombia. Both countries have stated that they are open to increasing that number to 50% which shows the increasing tension between them.
This is perhaps the most obvious and widely known case: South Florida’s commercial relations with Colombia place them in a very difficult position considering a possible trade war. Cargo through the Miami International Airport is considerable, with exports from Colombia ranking those of flowers at the top. During the month of February, tons of flowers poured into Miami each day leading up to Valentine’s Day. It is estimated that over 48,000 tons of flowers pass through the customs area of Miami International Airport during Valentine’s Day. Roses alone amount to USD 2 billion with over 70% being grown and traded in Colombia. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of these flowers, with Miami playing a major distribution hub.
Colombia started exporting cut flowers on a large scale following the establishment of a free trade treaty with the United States in 2012. The tariff-free status of fresh-cut roses as well as other flowers helped place Colombia as the main supplier to the USA. However, President Trump’s trade regime- which has shifted towards a protectionist policy through tariffs on goods range of goods including flowers imported from Columbia- puts this status in jeopardy.
In addition to flowers, the United States also imports significant quantities of bananas, plantain, citrus fruits and construction grade aluminum and ceramic tiles from Colombia. Most of these products enter America via Port Everglades located in Fort Lauderdale.
The ports of South Florida are responsible for 27 % of the total trade with Colombia according to data from USTradeNumbers.com. In the case of both countries, the balance of trade is close to equilibrium, with a slight advantage for the United States. U.S. imports from Colombia in the month of November came to a total of $1.5 billion, while the exports to Colombia were more than $1.7 billion.
Should the trade conflict continue, South Florida is likely to bear the most severe consequences of the such warfare, especially given the approach of the import-driven Valentine’s Day celebrations.
