President Trump is making moves to make everyday food items such as coffee and bananas more affordable.
On Friday, the 47th President exempted imports items such as coffee, bananas and some beef products that have had their prices increased due to tariffs.
Trump's move will also exempt dozens of fruits and vegetables.
President Donald Trump on Friday exempted key agricultural imports like coffee, cocoa, bananas and certain beef products from his higher tariff rates.
The move comes as Trump faces political blowback for high prices at U.S. grocery stores. Some distributors of beef, coffee, chocolate and other common food items have raised prices as Trump's tariffs took hold this year, adding to pressure on household budgets created by decades-high inflation in recent years.
Trump's action Friday also exempts a range of fruits including tomatoes, avocados, coconuts, oranges and pineapples. Along with coffee, the tariff reductions extend to black and green tea, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
The move marks a reversal for Trump, who has insisted tariffs are necessary to protect U.S. businesses and workers. He has contended U.S. consumers will not ultimately pay for the higher duties.
The exemptions come just a day after Trump reached trade framework agreements with four Latin American countries - including 10% tariffs on most goods from Argentina, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and 15% from Ecuador. It also removes duties specifically on products not grown or produced in the U.S. in sufficient quantities, like bananas and coffee.
Rising food prices have hampered U.S. households for several years. Consumer Price Index data show food-at-home prices increased approximately 2.7% year-over-year in September. (More recent data was delayed because of the government shutdown).
The tariff exemptions aim to help moderate these grocery price increases, although experts caution that other factors such as global supply shortages also influence prices, especially for coffee and beef.
Vice President JD Vance has also been addressing affordability issues many Americans face, per the New York Post:
Vice President JD Vance called for Americans to be patient with the Trump administration as it grapples with the cost of living crisis, arguing that "we inherited a disaster" from former President Joe Biden.
"For people now that maybe are still suffering from the Biden-Harris economic hangover, when do we really see the engine of the economy start to take off?" Fox News host Sean Hannity asked the veep in a one-on-one interview that aired Thursday.
"Well, some of it's already started, Sean, but some of it is going to take a long time because we inherited a disaster," Vance responded. "We inherited the highest peacetime debt and deficits in the history of the United States of America. We inherited the worst inflation crisis in -- in at least the last 40 years and I think probably longer.
"So, a lot of Americans, when we took over, they were struggling. They either were underemployed, or they didn't have a job altogether. Their wages had been stagnant. And the president of United States said the most important thing that we have to fix is for people to be able to live a good life," he went on.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.