Trump administration exempts key food, beverage imports from broad U.S. tariff measures
The U.S. exempts major food and beverage imports from sweeping tariffs, affecting cocoa, coffee, fruits, and other agricultural goods.
USA – U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that several food and beverage products will be excluded from the extensive tariff measures introduced earlier this year, marking a significant shift in the administration’s trade policy.
The tariffs, first introduced months earlier, imposed a baseline 10% levy on goods imported into the United States, with certain products facing additional duties.
The administration stated that the measures were designed to address trade imbalances and what it described as inadequate reciprocity from trading partners.
However, on 14 November, the White House confirmed that the tariff structure would be modified. According to the announcement, an Executive Order had been signed to exempt specific agricultural imports, particularly those not produced domestically.
The White House indicated that the United States currently lacks the capacity to cultivate many of these products, making the adjustment “necessary and appropriate.” The revised tariff exemptions took effect retroactively from 13 November 2025.
Among the products now excluded from the tariffs are coffee, tea, tropical fruits, fruit juices, cocoa, spices such as vanilla beans, as well as various nuts, grains, and beef products. The decision prompted responses from several major industry players and trade associations.
Hershey, one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the country, issued a statement welcoming the exemption of cocoa. The company noted that cocoa is essential to its U.S. production operations and is not grown domestically.
Hershey stated that maintaining access to imported cocoa supports more than 10,000 American jobs and contributes significantly to economic activity linked to chocolate manufacturing.
The company said the exemption would further strengthen its supply chain and support continued investment in domestic production.
The National Coffee Association (NCA) also praised the decision. Bill Murray, the organization’s president and CEO, said that removing reciprocal tariffs on most coffee imports would ease cost pressures for the majority of American adults who consume coffee daily.
He added that the exemption would help secure supply for U.S. companies, noting that every dollar spent on coffee imports generates substantial economic value within the country.
Murray also commended new trade agreements with Switzerland, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala, stating that they would bolster the coffee supply chain.
The tariff rollback comes amid increased scrutiny of the administration’s economic policies, particularly concerns over rising food and beverage prices. President Trump has however rejected assertions that the earlier tariff measures contributed to these price increases.
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