Washington: The Trump administration has announced an executive order to remove reciprocal tariffs on certain agricultural products, aiming to alleviate rising consumer prices. The order, which took effect on Thursday, exempts products such as coffee, tea, tropical fruits, fruit juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beef, and some fertilizers from reciprocal tariffs. Duties collected on these products will be refunded.

According to Namibia Press Agency, President Donald Trump stated that the decision to modify the scope of reciprocal tariffs was influenced by progress in trade negotiations, domestic demand for specific products, and the current capacity of the U.S. to produce these items. The tariff exemptions are intended to lower prices, particularly for food items that the U.S. does not produce competitively, such as bananas.

The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose by 3 percent year-over-year for September 2025, a slight increase from 2.9 percent in August 2025. Notably, September saw a 14.7 percent year-on-year increase in beef and veal prices, while coffee prices surged by 18.9 percent.

U.S. Representative Don Beyer criticized the administration's move, stating, "President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people." Beyer argued that the recent electoral setbacks for Trump, attributed to voter dissatisfaction with inflation, have prompted this tariff rollback, framed by the White House as a shift towards affordability. Beyer is advocating for legislation to limit presidential powers in setting tariffs.