Trump Administration Teases ‘Substantial’ Reduction of Tariffs on Coffee, Bananas, and Other Grocery Items Not Grown in America

Seeking to put a lid on Democratic chatter about an “affordability crisis” in America, the Trump Administration says it is preparing to lower tariffs on food products not grown in the United States, such as coffee, which has seen costs spike over the last year. During an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there will be “substantial” announcements related to tariffs on coffee, bananas, and other such products.“That will bring prices down very quickly,” Mr. Bessent said.He did not provide specifics on what that tariff relief will look like. The announcement comes after months of assertions by President Trump and other members of the administration that the import taxes he imposed at the start of his second administration are paid by foreign countries and have no bearing on retail prices in the United States.Coffee prices have soared since 2024 in part due to poor weather conditions, but also due to tariffs, as about 99 percent of America’s coffee is imported. In September, the average cost for a pound of ground coffee was $9.14, up three percent from August’s average of $8.87, and 41 percent higher than September 2024.Earlier this year, President Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on Brazil, where roughly 30 percent of America’s coffee imports come from, and in July, he imposed an additional 40 percent tariff on the country because of efforts by the country’s left-wing president, Lula da Silva, to prosecute a former president and Trump ally, Jair Bolsonaro. Meanwhile, the cost of bananas, which economists have seen as immune to inflation due to their stable prices over decades, has increased 5.4 percent since April. Mr. Bessent’s comments come as the Trump Administration is seeking to tamp down concerns about high prices and “affordability” ahead of the midterm elections.The push to alleviate concerns about prices comes after Democrats swept key races in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City. A poll conducted by the Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos, released last week, found that 7 in 10 Americans said their grocery costs have increased compared to the previous year. The survey found that 6 in 10 respondents said Mr. Trump deserves a “great deal” or a “good amount” of the blame for the price increases. The same number of voters said they believe tariffs contribute to inflation. Mr. Trump has sought to avoid blame for high prices, telling reporters last week that he has done a “great job on groceries and affordability,” but the “only problem is the fake news.”While polls have found that Americans do not approve of the president’s tariffs, he has been reluctant to roll them back — even as the Supreme Court is considering whether he has the unilateral authority to impose his global tariffs — and has instead tried to sway public opinion by promising Americans “dividend” checks.On Sunday, he posted on Truth Social that because of the tariffs, the country is “taking in Trillions of Dollars” and a “dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.” Such a plan would need approval from Congress.

Trump Administration Teases ‘Substantial’ Reduction of Tariffs on Coffee, Bananas, and Other Grocery Items Not Grown in America

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