Donald Trump removes reciprocal tariffs on common agricultural products

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Donald Trump has cut tariffs on a number of agricultural imports, as the US president tries to reduce the cost of grocery prices in the face of weak polls on his handling of inflation and the economy.

Trump issued an executive order Friday afternoon saying that imports of certain goods that are not generally grown or produced in the United States will no longer be subject to “reciprocal tariffs” — high duties he set on emergency powers starting in April.

The president’s order said the tariff exemptions would apply to common and tropical fruits including oranges, tomatoes and bananas – as well as cocoa, coffee and tea. The list also included beef imports, as well as spices and some fertilizers, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.

“We have already reached that critical mass where we are beginning to reshape the global trading system in a way that we believe is better for America. Now is the time to release some of these elements,” US Trade Representative Jamison Greer told reporters at the White House.

However, the announcement represents a significant reversal from Trump’s aggressive tariff policies and emphasizes that lower tariffs can bring some relief to consumers, while higher tariffs can lead to higher prices.

The move comes as the president’s approval rating on the economy has fallen to 41 percent, with 56 percent disapproval, according to the Realclearpolitics.com polling average.

The US Chamber of Commerce, the largest US business lobby group, praised the move and urged more similar actions.

“We encourage the administration to build on today’s announcement and provide additional tariff relief on other products not readily available from domestic sources and in cases where tariffs threaten American jobs,” Neil Bradley, the chamber’s chief policy officer, said in a statement.

Democrats said Trump’s move was not enough to mitigate the damage caused by his trade policies.

“President Trump is finally acknowledging what we’ve always known: that his tariffs are raising prices for the American people,” said Don Beyer, a Democratic representative from Virginia. “While this move may mitigate some of the cost increases caused by Trump, it will not stop the larger problems of rising inflation, business uncertainty and economic damage caused by Trump’s crazy tariff plan.”

The tariff cuts announced Friday will take effect immediately and follow deals Trump reached with Switzerland to ease some of the tariffs the United States imposed on imports from the European Alpine country earlier this year.