tariffs

President Trump Cuts Certain Reciprocal Tariffs on Agricultural Products

By: Brandon French, Senior Associate, BLG

Quick Answer

On November 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order to exempt certain agricultural products from reciprocal tariffs, a decision based on recommendations, trade negotiations, and domestic demand and production capacity. This order specifically modifies the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), impacting key chapters such as 02 for meat and 07 for vegetables. The exemptions, which went into effect on November 13, 2025, aim to mitigate the overall impact of tariffs on affected companies.

On November 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order exempting certain agricultural products from the reciprocal tariffs (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/11/modifying-the-scope-of-the-reciprocal-tariff-with-respect-to-certain-agricultural-products/). President Trump indicated that:

After considering the information and recommendations these officials have provided to me, the status of negotiations with various trading partners, current domestic demand for certain products, and current domestic capacity to produce certain products, among other things, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to further modify the scope of products subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive Order 14257, as amended.  Specifically, I have determined that certain agricultural products shall not be subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive 14257, as amended. 

The exemptions for certain agricultural products went into effect on November 13, 2025.

The Executive Order indicates that the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTS”) shall be modified as provided in Annex I to this order. Some of the more relevant HTS chapters include:

  • 02 (certain meat and edible meat offal)
  • 07 (certain edible vegetables, roots, and tubers)
  • 08 (certain edible fruits, nuts, peel of citrus, fruit, and melons)
  • 09 (certain coffee, tee,  maté, and spices)
  • 20 (certain preparations of vegetables, fruits, buts, or other parts or plants)
  • 31 (certain fertilizers)

For a complete list of excluded agricultural products and the corresponding HTS codes, see Annex I (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/annex.pdf).

As trade negotiations continue, it is likely that President Trump will continue to review previously issued Executive Orders to determine if any additional products should still be subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive Order 14257. Companies that are impacted by the reciprocal tariffs should closely monitor for any new exemptions that are released in an effort to continue mitigating the overall impacts of the tariffs. 

For additional inquiries, feel free to reach out to Brandon French at Brandon@Braumillerlaw.com to discuss whether you may qualify for one of the agricultural exemptions.

Read more articles by these authors:

https://www.braumillerlaw.com/author/brandonfrench/

Frequently Asked Questions

1 What is the purpose of President Trump's Executive Order regarding agricultural tariffs?

President Trump issued an Executive Order on November 14, 2025, to exempt certain agricultural products from reciprocal tariffs. This decision was based on recommendations, the status of trade negotiations, and current domestic demand and production capacity for these products.

2 Which specific Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) chapters are affected by these agricultural tariff exemptions?

The Executive Order modifies the HTS, primarily affecting chapters such as 02 (certain meat), 07 (certain edible vegetables), 08 (certain edible fruits and nuts), 09 (certain coffee, tea, and spices), 20 (certain preparations of vegetables/fruits), and 31 (certain fertilizers). A complete list of excluded products and HTS codes is available in Annex I of the order.

3 When did the exemptions for certain agricultural products go into effect?

The exemptions for certain agricultural products, as outlined in President Trump's Executive Order, went into effect on November 13, 2025. As of this date, the specified agricultural products are no longer subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive Order 14257.

4 Are further modifications to reciprocal tariffs on agricultural products expected?

Yes, the article indicates that as trade negotiations continue, President Trump is likely to review previously issued Executive Orders. This ongoing review will determine if any additional products should still be subject to the reciprocal tariff imposed under Executive Order 14257.