The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

US President Donald Trump has rolled back a series of wide-reaching import tariffs, removing levies on a range of food and beverage products including coffee, tea, tropical fruits, cocoa, spices, nuts, grains and beef.

Earlier this year, the administration imposed a baseline 10% tariff on most imported goods, citing efforts to address US trade deficits and what Trump called a lack of “reciprocity” from trading partners. Some categories faced additional surcharges.

However, on 14 November, the White House announced significant modifications to the tariff policy, with Trump signing an Executive Order exempting a number of agricultural and food items not grown domestically. The administration said limited US production capacity made it “necessary and appropriate” to reverse the measures. The changes apply retroactively from 13 November 2025.

Industry welcomes the move

Hershey issued a statement applauding the exemption of cocoa, noting that the crop is essential to its US operations and supports more than 10,000 domestic jobs.“This exemption strengthens our domestic supply chain and enables us to continue investing in American manufacturing,” the company said.

The National Coffee Association (NCA) also supported the decision. CEO Bill Murray said removing reciprocal tariffs on most coffee imports would ease cost-of-living pressures and support an industry where every $1 in imports generates $43 in US economic value. Murray also praised recent trade deals with Switzerland, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Tariff scrutiny and beef market tensions

The rollback comes amid political pressure over rising food and beverage prices in the US, though Trump denies his tariff policies have contributed to inflation.

Last week, the President instructed the Department of Justice to investigate major meatpacking companies for alleged price manipulation in the beef sector. The action follows concerns that US cattle production cannot meet domestic demand.

Bill Bullard, CEO of rancher association R-Calf USA, said the President’s concerns about capacity constraints are valid, blaming decades of weak trade policy and lack of antitrust enforcement for industry consolidation. He argued consumers have faced inflated beef prices since 2017, even while cattle prices had previously fallen.

Bullard added that drought conditions worsened supply issues, pushing cattle prices sharply upward as strong consumer demand collided with scarcity. With beef now at the highest nominal prices in US history, Bullard said the industry must rebuild production and competition.R-Calf USA “strongly supports” the DOJ investigation, pledging to work with the administration to restore fair market conditions.