The move is expected to help reduce the cost of products imported from these countries, with retailers anticipated to pass those savings on to shoppers. 

RF Report

US President Trump signed an executive order on 14 November 2025, excluding certain agricultural products and some fertilisers from reciprocal tariffs. Affected items include coffee, tea, tropical fruits and juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and beef.

This follows the Trump Administration’s announcement on 13 November 2025 to scrap specific tariffs on food and other goods imported from Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Under newly negotiated framework agreements, American companies are expected to gain broader access to these markets while consumers benefit from lower prices on everyday items.

According to a senior Trump administration official, the move is expected to help reduce the cost of products such as coffee and bananas, with retailers anticipated to pass those savings on to shoppers.

Most of the agreements with the four countries are slated to be finalised within the next two weeks, and additional accords may follow before the end of the year.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signalled that more significant announcements are forthcoming, emphasising that the administration is focused on easing the cost of living through targeted reductions in import prices.

The Trump administration released a fact sheet regarding the announcement.

Fact Sheet: Following Trade Deal Announcements, President Donald J. Trump Modifies the Scope of the Reciprocal Tariffs with Respect to Certain Agricultural Products

STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH TARIFFS AND TRADE DEALS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order modifying the scope of the reciprocal tariffs that he first announced on April 2, 2025. Specifically, certain qualifying agricultural products will no longer be subject to those tariffs.

  • President Trump is strengthening the U.S. economy and national security by modifying the scope of the reciprocal tariffs.
    • On April 2, the President announced global reciprocal tariffs to address the national emergency posed by our large and persistent trade deficits, which are driven by the absence of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships, among other things. The President also determined not to impose reciprocal tariffs on certain products, including certain critical minerals, energy, and energy products.
    • On September 5, the President modified the scope of the reciprocal tariffs. Some goods were added to Annex II of Executive Order 14257, meaning they would no longer be subject to reciprocal tariffs. Other goods were removed from Annex II, meaning they are now subject to reciprocal tariffs. The President also established a framework to implement existing and future trade deals, and he identified certain goods that may not be subject to reciprocal tariffs in the future.
    • Given the substantial progress in reciprocal trade negotiations—including the conclusion of 9 framework deals, 2 final agreements on reciprocal trade, and 2 investment agreements—current domestic demand for certain products, and current domestic capacity to produce certain products, among other things, President Trump has now determined that it is necessary and appropriate to further modify the scope of the reciprocal tariffs. Specifically, certain qualifying agricultural products will no longer be subject to those tariffs, such as certain food not grown in the United States.
  • Today’s Order follows the significant progress the President has made in securing more reciprocal terms for our bilateral trade relationships. President Trump’s deals have had and will continue to have broad impacts on domestic production and the economy as a whole, including enhanced market access for our agriculture exporters.
    • For example, many of the announced trade deals and ongoing negotiations involve countries that produce substantial volumes of agricultural products that are not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the United States.
    • The President has thus determined that certain agricultural products shall no longer be subject to the reciprocal tariffs. Some of these products include:
      • coffee and tea;
      • tropical fruits and fruit juices;
      • cocoa and spices;
      • bananas, oranges, and tomatoes;
      • beef; and
      • additional fertilizers (some fertilizers have never been subject to the reciprocal tariffs).
    • The products that will no longer be subject to the reciprocal tariffs have been added to Annex II of Executive Order 14257, as amended, and, as appropriate, have been removed from the “Potential Tariff Adjustments for Aligned Partners” (PTAAP) Annex.
      • The PTAAP Annex continues to contain other natural resources not available in the United States for reasons of geology or climate, generic pharmaceutical inputs, and aircraft and aircraft parts.
      • The President may be willing to remove the reciprocal tariffs from these products upon the conclusion of any reciprocal trade and security deal.
    • A modified Annex II and PTAAP Annex are attached to today’s Order, and the modifications will take effect on November 13, 2025.

ACHIEVING RECIPROCAL TRADE: In less than one year into his second term, President Trump has strengthened the international economic position of the United States by delivering a series of historic wins for the American people.

  • The President has announced Agreements on Reciprocal Trade with Malaysia and Cambodia, and Joint Statements on Frameworks for such agreements with El Salvador, Argentina, Ecuador, and Guatemala; Thailand and Vietnam; the United Kingdom and European Union, and Switzerland; as well as investment deals with Japan and Korea.  The President has also made significant progress on reciprocal trade negotiations with many other countries around the world.

DELIVERING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Trump’s tariff policies have delivered significant and lasting wins for the American people through fair, tough, and strategic trade negotiations, strengthening the U.S. economy and national security while breaking down unfair trade barriers that have harmed American workers for decades.

  • By imposing tariffs on countries with nonreciprocal trade practices, President Trump is incentivizing manufacturing on American soil and defending our industries.
  • The Trump Administration has worked with America’s trading partners to craft tailor-made trade deals designed to eliminate their most distortive trade practices and to ensure that trading partners align with the United States on key economic and national security matters.
  • In a massive deal with the European Union, the EU has agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion in the United States, all by 2028, while accepting a 15% tariff rate, and charging American companies zero.
  • During his historic trip to Asia in October, President Trump signed trade deals with Malaysia and Cambodia and reached reciprocal trade frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam.
    • Cambodia will eliminate tariffs on 100% of U.S. industrial and agricultural goods, unlocking new market access for American workers and producers.
    • Malaysia agreed to slash trade barriers facing American exporters and expand market access for U.S. goods, ranging from passenger vehicles and machinery to dairy and poultry.
  • Deals with four Latin American countries further opens those markets for U.S. exports by eliminating tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and strengthens our economic security relationships with these important neighbors.
  • With billions in reshoring investments already announced, President Trump is bringing manufacturing jobs back to America, revitalizing communities, and strengthening supply chains.
  • The Administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our national security, advance our economic interests, and uphold a system of trade based in fairness and reciprocity.

The Trump administration also released a fact sheet regarding the announced trade deals with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Historic Trade Deals with Western Hemisphere Trading Partners

DELIVERING ON RECIPROCAL TRADE: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced breakthrough trade deals with El Salvador, Argentina, Ecuador, and Guatemala, allowing greater and more streamlined market access in some of America’s most critical strategic partners in the Western Hemisphere.

  • These deals secure commitments on economic and national security issues to strengthen supply chains and trade partnerships in the region, deepening bilateral trade and investment cooperation to provide American exporters with unprecedented access to markets in Central and South America.
  • The deals will help US farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and manufacturers to increase US exports to and expand business opportunities with these trading partners.
  • Today’s announcements underscore the Administration’s unwavering commitment to fair and balanced trade at every opportunity to protect and strengthen our economic and national security.

Key terms of the Joint Statement with El Salvador include:

  • El Salvador has committed to addressing a range of non-tariff barriers, including by streamlining regulatory requirements and approvals for US exports, such as accepting vehicles and automotive parts built to US motor vehicle safety and emissions standards and accepting FDA certificates and prior marketing authorisations for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
  • El Salvador will also break down non-tariff barriers for US agricultural products in its market, including ensuring that US agricultural exporters will not be restricted due to the mere use of certain cheese and meat terms.

Key terms of the Joint Statement with Argentina include:

  • Argentina will provide preferential market access for US goods exports, including certain medicines, chemicals, machinery, information technology products, medical devices, motor vehicles, and a wide range of agricultural products.
  • Argentina has also committed to addressing structural challenges cited in the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s 2025 Special 301 report, including patentability criteria, patent backlog, and geographical indications, as well as to working towards aligning its intellectual property regime with international standards.

Key terms of the Joint Statement with Guatemala include:

  • Guatemala has committed to facilitating digital trade, including by refraining from imposing digital services taxes or other measures that discriminate against US digital services or US products distributed digitally, ensuring the free transfer of data across trusted borders, and supporting a permanent multilateral moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
  • Guatemala has committed to protect internationally recognised labour rights. In furtherance of this commitment, Guatemala will prohibit the importation of goods produced by forced or compulsory labour and strengthen its labour laws and their enforcement.

Key terms of the Joint Statement with Ecuador include:

  • Ecuador has committed to adopt and maintain high levels of environmental protection, take measures to improve forest sector governance and combat illegal logging, and fully implement the obligations of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
  • Ecuador will remove or decrease a range of tariff barriers across key goods sectors, including tree nuts, fresh fruit, pulses, wheat, wine, and distilled spirits, and fully eliminate a variable tariff on many agricultural products it had imposed through the Andean Price Band System. These actions will create commercially meaningful market access opportunities for US exports, supporting high-quality American jobs.

THE PROSPEROUS PATH FORWARD: Today’s momentous trade deals reinforce America’s aligned trade relationships with these allies while fostering more reciprocal conditions that prioritise American workers and industries, protecting US national security, and strengthening supply chains in the Western Hemisphere.

  • In the coming weeks, the United States and El Salvador, Argentina, Ecuador, and Guatemala will work expeditiously to finalise the Agreements for signature.
  • The United States will also give Most Favoured Nation (MFN)-tariff treatment for certain originating goods from these countries that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the United States in sufficient quantities.
  • For El Salvador and Guatemala, the United States will also remove the reciprocal tariffs from certain products, such as textiles and apparel products, originating under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). This will be a boon for US textile production and El Salvador’s and Guatemala’s economic growth, and will strengthen the resilience of textile and apparel supply chains.

LIBERATING AMERICA FROM UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES:  President Trump has challenged the assumption that American workers and businesses must tolerate unfair trade practices that have disadvantaged them for decades and contributed to our historic global trade deficit.

  • On 2 April 2025, President Trump declared a national emergency in response to the large and persistent US goods trade deficit caused by a lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships, unfair tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and US trading partners’ economic policies that suppress domestic wages and consumption.
  • President Trump continues to advance the interests of the American people and our agricultural sector by removing tariff and non-tariff barriers and expanding market access for American exporters.
  • Most recently, President Trump delivered a series of historic wins for the American people during his successful trip to Asia, signing Agreements on Reciprocal Trade with Malaysia and Cambodia, securing investments in Japan and Korea, and announcing joint frameworks for trade negotiations with Thailand and Vietnam.
  • Today’s announcement shows that America can defend its domestic production while obtaining expansive market access with our trading partners.