President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order eliminating tariffs on a wide range of commodities, including beef, coffee and several tropical fruits, including bananas, in an effort to ease consumer frustration over high prices. The move follows off-year elections earlier this month in which voters cited economic concerns as their top priority, contributing to significant Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey.
Trump issued the order after announcing that the United States had reached framework agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador and Argentina to reduce import levies on agricultural goods from those countries. Earlier in the week, he had signaled plans to lower tariffs on coffee to boost imports.
The president and his administration have long argued that tariffs do not raise consumer prices, even though some of the products affected by the new order are not produced domestically. Still, record-high beef prices have emerged as a particular political concern, and Trump has pledged to address them. His tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter, have contributed to rising costs.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
