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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to lower tariffs on a range of agricultural imports, including beef, coffee, bananas, and tomatoes. The move is a direct response to growing public pressure over the escalating cost of living, which has become a central concern for American voters.
The White House is framing the decision as an effort to provide financial relief to families facing high grocery bills. The order specifically targets the administration's own "reciprocal" tariffs, which were imposed earlier in the year to counter what it deemed unfair trade practices. This policy adjustment comes after affordability emerged as a key issue in recent gubernatorial and mayoral elections, prompting the administration to take visible steps toward addressing consumer concerns over rising prices.
The tariff rollback is not a complete removal of all duties. For example, the order partially rolled back duties on Brazilian goods by lifting a 10% tariff on beef, coffee, and fruits that was imposed in April. However, according to Argus Media, a separate 40% tariff from August and other quota-based fees remain in effect. The executive order was made retroactive, applying to goods that entered the U.S. for consumption after 12:01 a.m. ET on November 13.
The scope of the order is significant, having exempted hundreds of agricultural product categories from reciprocal tariffs. Specifically, the directive added 237 new product subheadings to the exemption list, spanning a wide variety of foods. The administration stated that the exemptions were considered after evaluating factors such as the domestic capacity to produce certain goods. This measure aims to increase the supply of these products in the U.S. market and, in turn, help stabilize or lower their prices at the retail level.
