Overview
- An executive order directs Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative to temporarily lift the highest duties on selected agricultural imports, retroactive to midnight, and to assess the economic impact.
- The exemptions cover coffee, cacao, certain beef products, bananas and plantains, tomatoes, avocados, coconuts, oranges, pineapples, tea, and common spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
- The shift follows newly announced trade frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala that set reciprocal tariffs near 10%–15% for many goods.
- The administration frames the rollback as relief for consumers after steep increases in items like beef and coffee since this year’s broader tariff program took effect.
- Exporters and industry groups including Brazil’s ABIEC and Colombia’s National Coffee Federation welcomed the change, though other duties remain in place and the Supreme Court is reviewing presidential tariff authority.