Trump was forced to "ease the burden" on the public by signing an executive order to indirectly lower tariffs on goods such as beef and coffee.

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Pressed by voters’ growing concerns about rising prices, the Trump administration has been forced to adjust its trade policies.

According to CCTV News, on Friday, November 14 local time, the White House announced a new executive order signed by President Trump, further adjusting the scope of “reciprocal tariffs,” and excluding certain agricultural products from the additional tariffs previously imposed under the “Reciprocal Tariffs Executive Order.”

The exemption will reduce trade tariffs on these bulk commodities. This executive order means Trump has indirectly lowered tariffs on agricultural products such as beef, tomatoes, coffee, and bananas, aiming to reduce the cost for Americans to purchase everyday goods.

The White House stated that these goods cannot be produced in sufficient quantities domestically to meet demand. The government’s list of exempted products includes hundreds of food items, covering coconuts, nuts, avocados, pineapples and more. The tariff reduction is retroactive to 12:01 a.m. New York time on November 13.

This measure comes at a time when the Republican Party has suffered defeats in several state and local elections this month, with opponents emphasizing policies to address the burden on livelihoods. It is also an implicit admission that Trump’s tariff policies have increased price pressure for U.S. consumers. CPI data shows that coffee prices paid by American consumers rose nearly 20% in September year-on-year.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said earlier this week when previewing the order that these measures target “goods that we don’t grow in America.” U.S. Trade Representative Greer said on Friday that this aligns with Trump’s broader strategy of creating tariff exemptions for key goods and industries.

Scope of Exemption and Implementation Details

The executive order Trump signed excludes these goods from the “reciprocal tariff” rates, which start at 10% and can go as high as 50%. However, the order does not fully exempt these goods from all tariffs.

For example, tomatoes from Mexico, a major U.S. supplier, will still face a 17% tariff. That rate took effect in July after a nearly 30-year-old trade agreement expired, and tomato prices surged almost immediately afterward.

The exemption list also includes cocoa, frozen orange juice, and some nuts and tropical fruits. According to USDA data, the U.S. has been importing more tropical products that cannot be grown domestically, expanding its agricultural trade deficit. This year, such imports are expected to reach $39.4 billion, accounting for 18% of total U.S. agricultural imports, with coffee alone making up one-third of that value.

According to CCTV, Trump’s Friday executive order states that, based on assessments of domestic product demand and capacity, as well as the latest recommendations from government agencies, he deems it necessary to modify the tariff list in response to the “national emergency” declared in the “Reciprocal Tariffs Executive Order.” The updated exemption table and potential adjustment list for “allied partners” will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time, November 13, 2025. The order also requires revisions to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and instructs proper handling of possible tariff refunds.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will process any refunds pursuant to regulations and procedures.

Beef and Coffee Price Pressure

Before the beef tariff reduction was announced, Trump said the U.S. would increase purchases from Argentina, which sparked strong opposition from ranchers and Republican politicians in agricultural states. As the domestic cattle herd has shrunk, consumer prices have surged to historic highs. But strong demand has led the U.S. to rely increasingly on foreign imports to fill the gap.

Coffee prices have also soared. After the U.S. imposed tariffs on Brazil, trade between the two countries came to a standstill, and the futures market hit new highs recently. Data from Brazilian industry group Cecafé show U.S. purchases of Brazilian coffee beans dropped by over 50% from August to October during the tariff period. Domestic U.S. coffee production is negligible, and even the few U.S. growers have expressed concerns that high prices could suppress demand for their products.

Supplementary Trade Agreement Frameworks

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced framework agreements with several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Ecuador, also aimed at helping lower costs for many goods not produced in large quantities in the U.S. Once finalized, the agreements will eliminate tariffs on certain foods and other items imported from these countries. U.S. officials are targeting signing more agreements before the end of the year.

Trump has disrupted the global trading system, imposing a 10% base tariff on imports from each country, as well as country-specific additional tariffs.

Political Response and Controversy

A White House official told the media on Friday that Trump is fulfilling his promise to negotiate trade agreements and adjust tariffs as necessary. Trump and senior U.S. officials have dismissed criticism that his trade policy raised living costs but acknowledged that more needs to be done to lower high prices that have frustrated voters for years.

Richard Neal, the leading Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, stated that the Trump administration is “putting out the fire they started themselves” and trying to claim credit for it. In his statement, Neal said: “The Trump administration is finally admitting what we’ve known all along: Trump’s trade war is driving up people’s cost of living. Inflation is up since these tariffs were put in place, and manufacturing has contracted for months in a row.”

Economists say consumers remain frustrated by the high prices of groceries, and these prices have been partly driven by import tariffs. Next year, as businesses begin to pass through the full impact of import tariffs, prices may rise further.

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