Trump drops tariffs on coffee, cocoa, tropical fruits and beef
On Nov. 14, 2025 President Trump signed an executive order removing “reciprocal” tariffs (previously running roughly 10–40%+) on dozens of food items — explicitly covering coffee and tea, beef, tropical fruits and juices (bananas, mangoes, avocados, mangoes, coconuts, pineapples), cocoa and spices, certain nuts (cashews, pine nuts, macadamia) and tomatoes and oranges — and also lifting duties on some fertilizers, a move the White House said reflected domestic demand, U.S. production capacity and progress in trade talks with countries including Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador. Administration officials said the rollback will increase supply and push consumer prices and inflation lower in coming months and industry groups welcomed relief, but critics noted exclusions (such as EU/UK spirits), some foods may still face other tariffs and savings could be only partial because of other cost pressures like weather and labor shortages.
📌 Key Facts
- President Trump signed an executive order on Nov. 14, 2025 removing tariffs on a wide set of food items — explicitly listed as coffee, tea, beef, fruit juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, avocados, mangoes, coconuts, pineapples — and also exempting certain nuts (cashews, pine nuts, macadamia) and some fertilizers.
- The order strips those items out of the administration’s earlier “reciprocal” tariff lists (rates that ranged roughly 10%–40%+), though some foods may still face other tariff regimes; the White House tied exemptions to “substantial progress” on trade frameworks (noting prior-day frameworks with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador).
- White House text says the decision considered current domestic demand and U.S. capacity to produce the affected products; NEC Director Kevin Hassett and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said higher U.S. supply should push prices down and Bessent forecast inflation bending down and consumer relief by the first half of 2026.
- Inflation context: grocery costs are rising at the fastest annual pace since 2023 and key affected items have large year‑over‑year CPI increases — beef +12.9% (Sept), bananas +6.9%, roasted coffee +18.9% — with coffee and beef among the fastest‑rising CPI components (~15–20% YoY).
- Economists and reporters caution that tariff relief may only partially pass through to consumers because of other cost pressures (climate risks, disease, labor shortages) and that the timing of measurable inflation effects is uncertain amid delays to the next inflation report caused by a government shutdown.
- The move has political dimensions: it follows off‑year elections where voters cited economic concerns (and recent Democratic wins in VA and NJ); Trump posted on Truth Social that costs are “tumbling down” and suggested increasing beef imports from Argentina — an idea criticized by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
- Industry reaction was mixed: trade groups like the Consumer Brands Association and FMI praised the action as lowering a price factor for consumers, while the Distilled Spirits Council criticized the decision for excluding EU/UK spirits from relief.
- Background: the administration’s April tariffs were broadly applied to most countries, and tariffs on Brazilian beef were cited as a factor in record U.S. beef prices prior to this rollback.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (2)
"The piece critiques last week’s Trump administration tariff rollbacks—particularly on beef, coffee and tropical fruits—arguing that abrupt, politically driven trade shifts are creating crushing uncertainty and uneven harm across American agriculture and that policy should be steadier and better targeted."
"Yglesias uses Trump’s removal of food tariffs as a springboard to argue that pursuing affordability requires Democrats to make politically difficult tradeoffs—taking on unions and other allies—and to implement concrete cost‑cutting choices (like transit automation) rather than merely campaigning on the issue."
📰 Sources (6)
- NEC Director Kevin Hassett said prices for affected goods will go down as supply into the U.S. increases following the tariff rollback, while attributing earlier increases largely to weather and disease.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent forecast that in the first half of 2026 inflation will bend down and real incomes will accelerate, saying consumers should feel relief within months.
- Axios highlights that coffee and beef are currently among the fastest-rising CPI items (about 15–20% YoY).
- Notes ongoing uncertainty about when the next inflation report will be released due to lingering shutdown effects.
- Axios specifies that certain nuts (cashews, pine nuts, macadamia) are among the items exempted from tariffs.
- Article reiterates exempt categories (coffee/tea, beef, spices, tropical fruits, avocados, tomatoes, fruit juices) and frames the rollback as targeting goods the U.S. does not and cannot produce domestically.
- Notes that pass-through to consumers may be partial due to other cost pressures (climate risks, labor shortages).
- AP/NPR specifies the executive order also removes tariffs on certain fertilizers, expanding beyond food items.
- Confirms signing date as Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, and reiterates the covered list (beef, coffee, tea, fruit juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes).
- Adds political context that the move follows off-year elections where voters cited economic concerns; ties to recent Democratic wins in VA and NJ.
- Notes Trump’s April tariffs were applied to most countries and that tariffs on Brazilian beef were a factor in record U.S. beef prices.
- White House rationale: exemptions follow 'substantial progress' negotiating trade deals; ties to prior-day frameworks with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador.
- Inflation context: beef prices +12.9% YoY in September; bananas +6.9%; roasted coffee +18.9% (federal CPI data).
- Scope and mechanics: items removed from 'reciprocal' tariffs that run 10%–40%+; some foods may still face other tariff regimes.
- Political/economic context: Trump says he may boost beef imports from Argentina; National Cattlemen's Beef Association criticized the idea; Trump publicly pressed ranchers to lower prices.
- Product list reiterated in the EO: coffee, tea, bananas, mangoes, avocados, coconuts, pineapples, cocoa, spices (e.g., nutmeg), plus beef, oranges and tomatoes.
- Executive order explicitly covers: coffee and tea; tropical fruits and fruit juices; cocoa and spices; bananas, oranges, tomatoes; and beef.
- White House rationale in order text: considered current domestic demand and U.S. capacity to produce affected products.
- Industry reactions: Consumer Brands Association and FMI praised the move as addressing a price factor; Distilled Spirits Council criticized exclusion of EU/UK spirits.
- Trump publicly claimed costs are 'tumbling down' in a Truth Social post the same day.
- Inflation context noted: grocery costs rising at the fastest annual pace since 2023; shutdown has delayed newer data.