 "Trump stumbled as he made his way up the stairs of Air Force One on Sunday. AFP")
US President Donald Trump has suddenly rolled back tariffs on around 200 food, farm, and agricultural products, including coffee, tea, spices, beef, bananas, and orange juice, in a bid to address soaring grocery costs—one of his key campaign promises last year. The move marks a sharp reversal from his earlier stance, when he insisted higher duties were not fuelling price rises.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “We just did a little bit of a rollback. The prices of coffee were a little bit high, now they’ll be on the low side in a very short period.”
He also announced plans to provide $2,000 payments to lower- and middle-income Americans next year, funded by tariff revenues. “The tariffs allow us to give a dividend if we want to do that. Now we’re going to do a dividend, and we’re also reducing debt,” he added.
Economic pressures hit voters hard
The rollback comes as Americans feel the pinch of high living costs. According to Bank of America, one in four US households now lives paycheck to paycheck, spending roughly 95% of their income on essentials such as housing, gasoline, groceries, child care, and utilities.
Tariffs not primarily about trade deals
Despite the cuts, only two final trade agreements have been signed; the remaining 11 are framework or investment agreements. This indicates that the tariff reduction is less about trade deals and more about offering relief to consumers. While officially aimed at products “not grown in the United States,” such as coffee, cocoa, and tea, beef—produced domestically—was also included, signalling a direct benefit to households.
Trump targets voters’ concerns
By addressing everyday costs, Trump acknowledges the struggles of his voter base. Initiatives like $2,000 subsidy cheques and 50-year mortgages are further aimed at providing tangible relief.
Impact on global exporters
Indian spice merchants and tea growers are likely to benefit from the rollback. The list of affected items includes black pepper, cloves, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, ginger, tea varieties, mango derivatives, and cashews—all key exports from India to the US.
‘Putting out a fire that they started’: Democrats respond
Richard Neal, senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, criticised the move, saying, “The Trump administration is putting out a fire that they started and are claiming it as progress.”
He added, “The Trump Administration is finally admitting publicly what we’ve all known from the start: Trump’s Trade War is hiking costs on people. Since implementing these tariffs, inflation has increased and manufacturing has contracted month after month.”
Neal’s remarks come amid mounting voter concern over affordability, which helped Democrats secure recent state and local election victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City.