Global produce industry applauds Trump Administration’s immediate tariff exemption on avocados, bananas, and coffee
On Friday night, the White House issued an executive order granting tariff exemptions on agricultural products, regardless of their country of origin.
The roster includes categories such as fresh and dried avocados, bananas, pineapples, oranges, guavas, papayas, plantains, and kiwifruit, as well as cacao, coffee, and nuts, including cashews, pine nuts, and Brazil nuts.
The tariff exemptions aim to lower the US prices of foods that don't compete directly with domestic crops and can't be grown commercially or in sufficient quantities in the United States. The provision is set to take effect immediately.
Price relief in a complex economy
Food prices in the US have been on the rise since President Trump first announced tariffs back in April.
The hike has affected commodities such as bananas, whose price has increased by 5.4 percent in 2025 alone. Long considered America's favorite fruit, bananas were once labeled by experts as "inflation-proof" due to their ability to maintain a stable price regardless of economic context.
Avocados are another category that has been affected by rising prices this year. The category has been raking in big dollars in 2025, with an average price increase of 7.6 percent up until September. This is part of a bigger trend driven by growing consumer demand, which has not abated despite rising prices.
The US industry reacts to tariff exemptions
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) celebrated the government's announcement and emphasized that the effort to support "a healthier America requires keeping fruits and vegetables affordable and available."
"We have consistently advocated for the removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers that are unscientific or not risk-based on fresh produce," read IFPA’s statement. "Because of the seasonal and geographic nature of certain commodities, consumers and growers both benefit from fair trade in fresh produce."
Meanwhile, the Banana Association of North America (BANA), which in the past has raised concerns about the impact of tariffs on banana prices in the US, appreciated the elimination of the levy on the fruit, which, they said, continues to be one of the most affordable in the department.
However, BANA CEO Tom Stenzel emphasized that the banana supply chains remain challenged, as "changing weather patterns and increasing disease pressures in tropical growing regions” continue to be a problem and a driver of increasing prices.
Global ag reactions
Producing countries of favored categories also applauded the exemption.
Ecuador reported that more than 15 of its products are benefiting from US tariff exemptions, including cacao, coffee, and tropical fruit. The government reminded local industry actors that the Latin American country is currently negotiating a trade deal with the US, for which a framework was already issued by the White House last week.
“Every division, every negotiation, is done with a clear goal: putting Ecuador first,” read the statement.
Richard Salazar, CEO of Ecuador’s Banana Trade and Exporting Association, told FreshFruitPortal.com that they project “exports will keep growing” as a result of the order.
Meanwhile, Colombia emphasized that in categories such as avocados and Tahiti lemons, tariff exemptions level the playing field in its competition with Mexico. The North American country benefits from previous provisions, such as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, as well as the temporary suspension of tariffs during the trade negotiations with the US.
Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, emphasized the benefits of tariff exemptions to the local citrus industry, which has been significantly impacted by US trade policy, as the North American country is its largest export destination.
"The latest executive order from President Donald Trump was positive and in the right direction," he said. "Orange juice went to zero [tariffs], the most benefited. Exports of this product to the United States represent $1.2 billion."
Although the season is over in South Africa, the local Citrus Growers Association (CGA) also praised tariff exemptions, calling them “great news.”
“The exemption once again makes South African oranges competitive in the US market, a market that holds opportunities for increased exports and local job creation,” said CGA CEO, Boitshoko Ntshabele.
In Chile, Iván Marambio, President of the local association Frutas de Chile, lamented that the latest tariff exemptions don't benefit some of the country’s most important crops, such as table grapes and berries.
Finally, Peru, a major agricultural exporter in the US, celebrated the tariff exemptions that benefit local products, including avocados, coffee, mangoes, and cacao.
"[The executive order] eases trade and reinforces reciprocity for the access of Peruvian products to the US market—the main one for our non-traditional exports, which produce the greatest number of jobs in our industry," said Peru’s Exporters Association President, Tello Ramírez.
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