In his first week back in the White House, Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Canada, Mexico, Denmark, Greenland and Panama.
But his first serious action was taken against Colombia.
During a dispute over deportation flights, Trump announced sweeping new tariffs, visa restrictions and a travel ban on Colombian officials as well as allies and supporters of the government.
Colombians would also be subjected to enhanced customs inspections.
It raises the question, could Trump do the same thing to Australia if he so chose.
In the most costly of those options, yes he can.
The US president has remarkable discretion when it comes to tariffs, ANU Professor of International Relations Wesley Widmaier told 9News.com.au.
“The President has a lot of executive power. What’s been restraining these practices in the past has been normative,” Widmaier said.
“And if we’ve learned anything about Donald Trump, norms are not an effective restraint on him.”
The US president can introduce tariffs on imports from …