Overview
- President Trump on Friday signed an executive order retroactively reducing tariffs on a range of agricultural imports, including beef, coffee, bananas and tomatoes, effective from Thursday.
- The administration published preliminary trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala that keep baseline reciprocal tariffs in place—10% for Argentina, Guatemala and El Salvador and 15% for Ecuador—while carving out relief for specified products not produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S.
- Officials say the frameworks are expected to be finalized within about two weeks and include commitments by partner countries to open markets to U.S. goods, cut non‑tariff barriers, avoid digital services taxes, and adopt regulatory, labor or environmental measures.
- The executive order excludes covered goods from reciprocal tariff rates but does not eliminate all duties, with officials citing tomatoes from Mexico remaining at a 17% tariff as an example.
- Partner governments welcomed the announcements, while some U.S. lawmakers and producer groups—especially in the cattle sector—raised concerns, as the Argentina framework lowers tariffs on certain beef without expanding the existing import quota.