CHICAGO, September 8, 2025 —President Trump said he’s poised to lift the tariffs on many of the imported supplies routinely used in the food-away-from-home business, provided the source nation has a standalone trade deal with the U.S.
The products that could be exempted from the duties as early as today include coffee, avocados, cocoa and several types of cooking oils, to name some of the 3,000 items that may be given a carve-out from import charges ranging from 10% to 50%.
Certain pieces of commercial kitchen equipment could also be selectively shielded from the tariffs, including stoves and some types of freezers, coolers, and drink dispensers.
An executive order issued by the president on Friday also brought good news to expansion-minded restaurant chains and other FAFH businesses, with exemptions proposed for a number of imported construction materials, including many sorts of plywood.
The exemptions would apply only to goods produced in nations that have negotiated a side trade deal with the U.S., such as the ones that have been struck with Mexico, Japan, and members of the European Union. That requirement could require FAFH operations to switch to products from other source nations if they wish to avoid paying any passed-along cost increases from the import duties.
Friday's executive order extended the list of goods President Trump is willing to spare from import duties to 100 pages, or roughly 3,000 items.
Items could be added as more nations enter into reciprocal trade pacts with the U.S., the White House stressed. But others could be deleted if no deal is forthcoming. In some instances, the imports originate in nations that appear ready to forge a deal with the U.S., but the carve-outs would not take effect until then.
Even if a nation has already entered into a trade deal, the exemptions need to be greenlighted by the White House. Those approvals could come today.
The move by the White House provides the U.S. with another lever for winning favorable trade deals with its international trading partners. Trump said he was also motivated by concerns about U.S. businesses not having access to products that can only be grown, mined, or manufactured elsewhere.
The new executive order was issued as the White House awaits a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on the legality of the tariffs. Ten days ago, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump did not have the authority under an emergency-measures law from the mid-1970s to levy most of the so-called reciprocal tariffs that were imposed Aug. 8.
The court allowed the tariffs to remain in effect to Oct. 14, or until the nation’s highest court can hear the White House’s appeal of the lower body’s decision.
The Administration has railed against the appeals court’s decision while also exploring alternative ways of imposing the tariffs should the Supreme Court rule against the White House. It argues that the tariffs are a cornerstone of the administration’s Make America Great Again program.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that the federal government would have to refund half the tariff revenues collected to date if the Supreme Court affirms the appeals court’s decision. The refund of billions of dollars would be a major blow to the Treasury, Bessent said.
The National Restaurant Association has asked the Trump Administration to exempt all food and beverage imports from the tariffs, contending that the surcharges would devastate the industry. It also argued that foods and beverages account for only a small portion of the goods imported into the U.S., and that many of the taxed goods cannot be produced locally, or what Trump has set as a key objective of the tariffs.
Although economists say the full effect of the tariffs likely won’t be felt until the holiday shopping season, research has indicated that consumers are already cutting back on their spending in anticipation of higher prices. Buying fewer meals from restaurants is one of the major ways they plan to tighten their belts.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.
Cover image courtesy: Closed Loop Project