credit, Getty Images
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- author, Raphael Barehouse and Marianna Alvim
- scroll, From BBC News Brazil in Sao Paulo
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Donald Trump’s government announced the suspension of part of the 10% reciprocal tariffs applied to all US trading partners on a range of agricultural products.
Among them are items produced by Brazil such as coffee, various cuts of beef, acai, Brazil nuts, tapioca, cassava, and fruits such as bananas, oranges, coconuts, and others.
The decision to suspend part of the 10% tariffs, announced in April, was published in an executive order on Friday (11/14), signed by Trump.
According to the G1 portal, the Secretary of Trade and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Luis Roa, said that the new exemptions do not change the additional 40% tariff that Trump imposed on several Brazilian products in July – specific negotiations are underway on the so-called “tariff” (read more below).
Trump states in the executive order that he decided to change the scope of the products on which these duties are imposed after receiving information and recommendations from the authorities monitoring the implementation of these measures, in addition to considering the progress of negotiations with other countries, the domestic demand for certain products, and the American production capacity for these items.
The document stated that the change will be applied to a series of products listed in an appendix and that it will come into effect “with respect to goods that enter for consumption, or are taken out of the warehouse for consumption, as of 00:01 (local time) on November 13, 2025.”
On Tuesday (11/11), in an interview with Fox News, Trump mentioned the possibility of reducing customs duties on coffee, without mentioning which countries would benefit.
His government is facing increasing pressure due to high inflation in the country.
Special Advisor to the Brazilian Presidency, Celso Amorim, told G1 that he viewed the announcement positively.
“It’s good news for our producers and consumers in North America,” Amorim said. “I hope it will be followed by other news that benefits our manufactured products, such as shoes and machinery.”
Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro told GloboNews that he met with his team to evaluate the US decision and celebrated the return of “dialogue.”
The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) also celebrated the announcement.
The association said, “This measure enhances confidence in the technical dialogue between the two countries and recognizes the importance of Brazilian meat, which is distinguished by its quality and regularity and its contribution to global food security.”
“Tariff reduction restores predictability to the sector and creates more favorable conditions for the smooth conduct of trade.”
Missing the Brazilian “cafezinho”.
credit, Reuters
Trump’s announcement could have a positive impact on the Brazilian economy, because among the products on which tariffs are now suspended, there are some items for which Brazil is a supplier that have a connection to the United States – our second largest trading partner.
An analysis by the Tax Foundation Research Center highlights Brazil as the fourth-largest food supplier to the United States, with imports of US$7.4 billion, behind the European Union (US$31 billion), Mexico (US$17.6 billion), and Canada (US$15.6 billion).
Brazil, for example, is the main supplier of coffee to the USA, accounting for about a third of total imports.
The United States is the largest consumer of this product in the world, but it practically does not produce it commodity.
The price of coffee has seen strong inflation in the US this year, and tariffs on Brazilian production have been exacerbating this scenario – causing Trump to worry about putting pressure on him on an important front for his voters, the economy.
According to BBC News Brasil calculations based on official data from the Ministry of Defense and International Cooperation, the amount of Brazilian coffee sent to the US in September fell by almost half (-47%) compared to the same month in 2024.
In the first conversation with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to discuss the tariffs, at the beginning of October, the US president admitted that the US was “missing” some Brazilian products affected by the tariffs, and specifically mentioned coffee, according to BBC News Brazil at the time.
Brazil is also the fourth-largest supplier of mangoes and guavas (which are together in the category of goods used in foreign trade) to Americans, having shipped about US$56 million of these products to the country in 2024.
Mexico is the leading supplier, with US$550 million, followed by Peru (US$96.9 million) and Ecuador (US$56 million), according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
The United States grows mangoes in states such as Florida, California and Hawaii, but most domestic consumption comes from imports. The same is true of guava, with its modest cultivation in Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Brazilian mango producers have been hit hard by the US tariffs, with production halted due to canceled orders, as BBC News Brasil has shown.
Brazil remains the world’s largest beef exporter and accounts for 23% of US imports of the product, according to calculations by Genial Investimentos.
The USA is the second largest market for Brazilian products, after only China.
But, unlike coffee and fruits like mangoes, in the case of meat, the United States is also a major producer.
However, the country is facing a historic decline in beef supplies.
The United States currently has the lowest number of cattle in 74 years, after ranchers cut production after several years of drought and low prices.
At the same time, consumer demand remained flat, causing supermarket prices to rise.
Suspending meat tariffs should also benefit Argentina, which accounts for 2.1% of US imports and is governed by Javier Miley, a Trump ally.
Trump has always maintained that his tariffs will not lead to higher prices for American consumers, but the latest waivers indicate a change in attitude.
Economists have already warned that companies will pass on the cost of import tariffs, leading to higher prices for consumers.
While inflation remained calmer than many analysts expected in September, most items tracked in the Labor Department’s inflation report showed increases, with food prices up 2.7% from a year ago.
In another measure to respond to Americans’ concerns about prices, the Trump administration announced on Thursday (11/13) a reduction in import duties on coffee and bananas as part of trade agreements with four countries in Latin America: Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador.
Could the 40% tariff on Brazilian products change too?
credit, Ricardo Stockert/Public Relations
This Friday’s announcement does not form a direct part of the ongoing negotiations between Brazil and the United States regarding tariffs specifically applicable to Brazilian products that were announced in July.
It was adopted in response to the rule of former President Jair Bolsonaro, an ideological ally of Trump, and includes additional tariffs of 40% on a large portion of Brazilian products exported to the United States in addition to the 10% reciprocal rates announced in April — thus raising rates on some Brazilian products to 50%.
So far, Lula has not commented publicly on the US government’s decision to cancel the 10% customs duties on some agricultural products.
This week, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on two occasions to discuss the issue, first in Canada and then in Washington.
After the meetings, Vieira said he believed it was possible to reach an agreement this month, which would lead to broader negotiations in the coming months.
“(The agreement) will set a road map for negotiations that may last two or three months and then finally resolve all issues between the two countries,” Vieira said.
According to the minister, during a virtual meeting on November 4, a proposal was presented to the Americans, which will be “a response to the first proposal they presented on October 16.”
Vieira stressed that the American response may come in the next few days.
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