The Trump administration on Friday rolled back a broad set of food and agricultural tariffs, easing pressure on grocery prices amid rising concerns about consumer costs.
In a late-night executive order, President Donald Trump reversed the “reciprocal” tariffs introduced in April, which the administration had originally argued were necessary to counter trade imbalances threatening national security.
The new exemptions — retroactive to Thursday, Nov. 13 — cover a wide range of everyday imports, including beef, coffee, bananas, and numerous other food and agricultural goods. Trump said advisers urged him to lift tariffs on items the US does not produce domestically.
The White House framed the rollback as an appropriate step following several recently completed trade agreements. However, the sharp shift comes less than two weeks after Democrats notched major victories in state and local elections, where affordability and rising household costs were central themes. Critics of the administration have repeatedly linked higher grocery prices to the tariff policies.
Separately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Friday that the US has reached a framework for a new trade deal with Switzerland that would reduce tariffs on Swiss imports to 15%, down from 39%.
Source: joc.com