The U.S. government has officially lifted its “reciprocal” tariffs on a wide range of food and agricultural imports from around the world, while also announcing newly negotiated trade framework agreements with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. According to the White House, the administration will now move quickly to finalize and sign these agreements so they can enter into force as soon as domestic procedures are complete.
Tariff Removal on Agriculture
Starting at 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 13, the United States eliminated reciprocal tariffs—originally imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—on hundreds of agricultural products that are not produced in sufficient quantities domestically. The change applies globally, not only to the four countries negotiating frameworks.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that 237 HTSUS categories and 11 broader agricultural groups are covered under the president’s executive order. Affected goods include:
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Coffee, tea, cocoa
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Tropical fruits and juices
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Bananas and oranges
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Tomatoes and spices
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Beef
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Certain fertilizers
Additional Tariff Adjustments
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The U.S. will remove reciprocal tariffs on specified non-patented pharmaceutical-related goods from Argentina.
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Duty-free access will be restored for qualifying CAFTA-DR textiles and apparel from El Salvador and Guatemala.
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The U.S. said it will “positively consider” the new frameworks when making future Section 232 tariff decisions.
Market Access Commitments from Partner Countries
Argentina agreed to broad preferential access for U.S. exports, including:
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Pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
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Machinery and IT products
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Motor vehicles
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Agricultural goods
Ecuador will reduce or eliminate tariffs on U.S. goods in sectors such as machinery, healthcare, ICT, chemicals, and autos, and will introduce tariff-rate quotas for selected agricultural products.
Reforms to Non-Tariff Barriers
The four countries also committed to easing regulatory and procedural barriers for U.S. exports. Highlights include:
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Argentina will accept U.S. or international standards for qualifying imports, eliminate consular formalities, and phase out its statistical tax.
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Argentina and Ecuador are streamlining their import licensing and conformity assessment processes.
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El Salvador and Guatemala will address barriers involving fumigation rules, facility registration, product approvals, and acceptance of U.S. regulatory certificates.
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All four countries will accept U.S. safety and emissions standards for vehicles and automotive parts, FDA certifications for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, and imports of U.S. remanufactured goods.
Agricultural Access Improvements
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Argentina will open its market to U.S. poultry within one year, simplify beef and pork import procedures, and drop facility registration requirements for U.S. dairy.
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Ecuador is revising food and agricultural import procedures to ensure transparent, predictable access for U.S. suppliers.
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El Salvador and Guatemala will maintain science-based, risk-based regulatory systems for agricultural products and uphold previously agreed certifications with U.S. regulators.
Additional Commitments
All four partner countries pledged to:
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Improve customs processes, including express shipments (notably Ecuador)
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Avoid discriminatory digital services taxes
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Ban imports made with forced labor
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Cooperate with the U.S. on supply chain security, duty evasion, export controls, and government procurement
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Strengthen intellectual property enforcement
The administration said these agreements will help balance U.S. trade relationships, boost American exports, and remove long-standing trade obstacles that previous negotiations had failed to resolve.
