U.S. Trade Policy Update: Agricultural Products Exempted from Reciprocal Tariffs

What Happened?

On November 14, 2025, the White House announced that hundreds of agricultural products are now exempt from “reciprocal tariffs” imposed earlier this year under Executive Order 14257. This move aims to ease consumer food prices and reflects progress in trade negotiations with multiple countries. [agweb.com], [whitehouse.gov], [grocerydive.com]

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Key Details

• Scope of Exemptions:
  • Over 237 tariff classifications and 11 special categories of agricultural goods were removed from the tariff list.
  • Products now exempt include:
    • Coffee and tea
    • Bananas, oranges, tomatoes
    • Tropical fruits and fruit juices
    • Beef
    • Cocoa and spices
    • Additional fertilizers
    • Certain religious-use food products. [grocerydive.com], [ghy.com]
• Effective Date: Retroactive to November 13, 2025. Importers can claim refunds for qualifying entries under CBP procedures. [ghy.com]
• Reason for Change:
  • Domestic supply constraints (many items not grown in the U.S.).
  • Political pressure to reduce grocery costs amid inflation concerns.
  • Progress on trade deals with countries like Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, EU, UK. [whitehouse.gov], [supplychaindive.com]

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Implications

• For Consumers: Expected moderation of food prices, especially for coffee, beef, and tropical fruits.
• For Importers: Must update HTS codes and use new tariff subheadings (e.g., 9903.01.32 and 9903.02.78) to claim exemptions.
• For Trade Partners: Countries exporting exempted goods (Latin America, Southeast Asia) stand to benefit significantly.
• For U.S. Policy: Signals a shift toward targeted tariff relief while maintaining leverage in broader trade negotiations. [whitehouse.gov], [joalvarez.com]

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