Trump Announces Rollback Of Tariffs On Grocery Staples Including Beef, Coffee Amid Affordability Threats To Americans

President Donald Trump revised the scope of his global tariffs Friday, scrapping levies on several grocery staples in an effort to address mounting concerns about stubbornly high food prices.

A Nov. 14 executive order said updated recommendations and progress on trade talks made it “necessary and appropriate to further modify the scope” of goods subject to the duties. It also noted “certain agricultural products shall not be subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive 14257, as amended.” The shift modifies the “reciprocal tariffs” Trump first imposed as part of April’s “Liberation Day” national emergency declaration tied to trade deficits.

A White House fact sheet accompanying the order states “certain qualifying agricultural products will no longer be subject to those tariffs, such as certain food not grown in the United States.” Notable affected items include “coffee and tea; tropical fruits and fruit juices; cocoa and spices; bananas, oranges, and tomatoes; beef; and additional fertilizers.”

GLENNO, EAST TIMOR: TO GO WITH AFP STORY “TIMOR-ECONOMY-COFFEE” An East Timorese farmer collects coffee beans from his field in Glenno, some 55 kilometers from Dili, 12 April 2006. East Timorese coffee, first planted by Portuguese colonisers in the early 19th century and then controlled by Indonesia’s military who largely neglected its improvement, is coming into its own at last. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)

Hours after the order’s announcement, Trump described the change as a limited adjustment. “We just did a little bit of a rollback on some foods like coffee,” Trump stated aboard Air Force One. AP reported.

When asked whether his tariffs had contributed to higher grocery prices, Trump acknowledged, “I say they may, in some cases,” but insisted, “to a large extent they’ve been borne by other countries.”

The rollbacks come amid an 18.9% price increase in roasted coffee, a 12.9% increase in the cost of ground beef, and a 6.9% increase in that of bananas from September 2025, according to Consumer Price Index data for the month.

The new tariff order represents a signifcant reversal of a portion of Trump’s second-term economic agenda, which was built around steep global import levies intended to revive U.S. manufacturing. It also comes after Democrats scored several victories in off-year elections in November, fueled in part by a voter focus on cost of living. (RELATED: Trump Strikes Four New Trade Deals With US Allies)

A ranch hand on the Storm ranch near Austin, Texas feeds cattle, February 7, 2001. Texas is the number one cattle-producing state in the nation. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Newsmakers)

Democrats argued the rollback validated their opposition to the tariffs. “President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people,” Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia wrote in a statement Friday, adding that, after recent electoral losses, “the White House is trying to cast this tariff retreat as a ‘pivot to affordability.’”

Industry groups welcomed the change. The Food Industry Association said in a Friday statement Trump’s move to provide “swift tariff relief” was an important step “ensuring continued adequate supply at prices consumers can afford.” It also noted import taxes “are an important factor” in a “complex mix” of supply chain pressures.

The administration framed the rollback as reflecting Trump’s recent progress on trade negotiations, including new agreements or frameworks with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina, in addition to several Asian and European partners. Many of those countries export goods the U.S. does not produce in sufficient quantities to meet domestic demand, according to the White House.

Trump hinted the cuts were coming in a Nov. 10 interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham. “Coffee, we’re going to lower some tariffs,” he said. “We’re going to have some coffee come in.”

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