November 14,2025
RED FM News Desk
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday exempting a broad range of food imports — including beef, tomatoes, coffee, and bananas — from the sweeping tariffs he imposed earlier this year on nearly every country, the White House announced.
The move is part of a major effort by Trump and top administration officials to respond to Americans’ increasing frustration with persistently high grocery prices.
The newly announced exemptions — which apply retroactively beginning at midnight Thursday — represent a significant shift for Trump, who has repeatedly argued that his tariffs were not contributing to inflation. The reversal comes on the heels of several Democratic victories in state and local elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City, where affordability was a central voter concern.
The White House said any applicable refunds would be issued according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines.
Trump has disrupted the global trade landscape by imposing a 10 percent base tariff on imports from all countries, in addition to extra duties that vary by state.
Friday’s order followed preliminary trade agreements unveiled Thursday that will eliminate tariffs on certain foods and other goods imported from Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador once the deals are finalized. U.S. officials say additional agreements may be secured before the end of the year.
In recent weeks, Trump has focused heavily on affordability issues while maintaining that any rising costs stem from policies enacted under former President Joe Biden — not from his own tariffs.
Consumers, however, remain frustrated by high grocery bills, which economists say have been partly driven by tariffs and may increase further next year as companies fully pass on those added costs.
Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, criticized the administration, saying it was “putting out a fire that they started and pretending it’s progress.”
“The Trump administration is finally publicly admitting what we’ve known all along: Trump’s trade war is driving up costs for Americans,” Neal said in a statement. “Since these tariffs were implemented, inflation has risen and manufacturing has contracted month after month.”
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