US President Donald Trump on Friday enacted an executive order scrapping tariffs on key imports like beef, coffee and bananas, framing the decision as a direct response to voter angst over skyrocketing consumer prices following Democratic gains in off-year elections.
The policy, effective immediately, stems from fresh trade pacts with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Argentina, allowing the removal of reciprocal duties on goods the US cannot produce domestically in adequate volumes, according to a White House fact sheet.
Those deals “further opens those markets for U.S. exports by eliminating tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and strengthens our economic security relationships with those important neighbors,” the document stated.546289
Trump’s move targets elevated grocery costs, with beef hitting record highs this year amid prior tariffs on major exporter Brazil, as the administration pivots from protectionist measures to consumer relief ahead of 2026 midterms.
Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul seized on the reversal, posting on X: “This means that tariffs were taxes all along.”0e0261
While Trump has long insisted tariffs do not inflate prices, the shift underscores economic pressures reshaping his trade agenda, with officials emphasising a focus on household affordability over pressuring partners.
