President Donald Trump has issued an executive order eliminating reciprocal tariffs on a range of agricultural imports, including beef, coffee, orange juice, pineapples, and various nuts. The move, announced Friday, aims to ease pressure on consumers facing rising grocery costs. According to Labor Department figures, beef prices increased by 16 percent over the past year, while coffee saw a 19 percent jump and bananas rose 7 percent.
The directive states, “I have determined that certain agricultural products shall not be subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive 14257, as amended.” Among the items now exempt are bananas, fresh tomatoes, coconuts, grapes, nutmeg, cardamom, cocoa beans, green and black tea, and cassava.
Earlier in the week, both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled the upcoming changes. On Wednesday, Bessent remarked during a Fox News appearance that there would be “substantial announcements over the next couple of days in terms of things we don’t grow here in the United States, coffee being one of them, bananas, other fruits, things like that.”
The rollback reflects efforts to stabilize consumer prices by reducing trade barriers on goods not widely produced domestically. By removing these tariffs, the administration seeks to enhance market access for essential food items and mitigate inflationary pressures on household budgets.
— news from Barron’s