The Trump administration is considering sweeping exemptions to some of its own recently imposed tariffs in an effort to bring down food prices, according to a report in the New York Times. The discussions, described by officials familiar with the matter, suggest a significant recalibration of the White House’s trade strategy as voters grow increasingly frustrated over rising grocery bills.
The proposed exemptions would apply to a set of reciprocal tariffs Trump announced in April, targeting imports from countries that lack trade agreements with the US. Among the items being evaluated for relief are beef, citrus, coffee, and bananas — products whose higher costs have contributed to food inflation. While the review is well underway, sources cautioned that Trump has not yet made a final decision.
Any exemption for beef would be especially charged, given Trump’s repeated calls to expand domestic production and criticism from ranchers who argue that increased imports undercut American farmers. A rollback would represent one of the clearest retreats from Trump’s signature tariff-centric economic policy, even though he continues to defend the overall strategy.
The scope of the proposal goes beyond the more limited exemptions envisioned in Trump’s September executive order, which focused on goods not produced domestically and sourced from countries with formal trade deals. That order directed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to scrutinise over a thousand import categories, from industrial materials to agricultural goods such as avocados, vanilla, antibiotics, and coffee.
Both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have hinted publicly at tariff adjustments. Trump told Fox News that coffee tariffs would be reduced, while Bessent said Americans should expect announcements within days regarding tariff relief on products the US does not grow, including coffee and bananas. These remarks follow Trump’s recent acknowledgement that consumers are absorbing part of the tariff burden and his proposal for a “tariff dividend” to offset those costs.
The debate comes at a politically sensitive time. Democrats have placed heavy emphasis on the cost of living in recent elections, and any easing of tariffs could be seen as an attempt by the administration to blunt those criticisms ahead of the next political cycle.
