US President Donald Trump has moved to ease pressure on rising food prices by signing an executive order that lifts tariffs on a wide range of imported food items — including coffee, bananas, beef, and several fruits and spices.
The policy shift marks a notable adjustment to Trump’s long-standing tariff strategy, which imposes a baseline 10% duty on imports from all nations, along with steeper penalties on select countries. The administration had previously insisted that the levies would not raise costs for Americans. However, growing public frustration over food prices — and the Republican Party’s disappointing results in last week’s elections — has pushed the White House to respond more directly to affordability concerns.
According to the announcement, products such as avocados, tomatoes, coconuts, mangoes, and other foods that the US cannot produce in large quantities will now be exempt from tariffs.
Trump said the decision targets items that do not compete with US industries, adding: “There’s no protection issue here. These are foods we don’t produce in sufficient amounts.” He also expressed confidence that no further rollbacks would be required.
The rising cost of beef has become a political flashpoint, prompting Trump last week to call for an investigation into alleged price manipulation in the meat-packing industry. At the same time, he has attempted to build support for his tariff agenda by promising Americans $2,000 rebate cheques — a policy currently under review by the US Supreme Court.
Economists have consistently warned that tariff costs would ultimately fall on consumers. Even though inflation remained lower than expected in September, grocery prices still rose by 2.7% over the past year.
The new exemptions are retroactive to midnight on 13 November, the White House confirmed. The administration also plans to cut import taxes on coffee and bananas through trade arrangements with four Latin American countries, with Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledging to reduce US coffee prices by 20% this year.
Food Items No Longer Subject to Tariffs
The updated exemption list includes over 100 items, such as:
Coffee, cocoa, black and green tea, vanilla
High-quality beef cuts (fresh, frozen, smoked, brined, dried)
Fruits: bananas, avocados, coconuts, mangoes, pineapples, plantains, guavas, limes, tomatoes, peppers, oranges, acai, etc.
Spices: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, saffron, turmeric, paprika, curry, ginger, etc.
Other imports: cashews, macadamia nuts, palm hearts, pine nuts, barley, tapioca, taro, capers, chestnuts, miso, water chestnuts, and m