Executive Order Exempts Many Agricultural Products from Reciprocal Tariffs

Late today (November 14, 2025) an Executive Order was released exempting many agricultural product imports from reciprocal tariffs. The exemptions took effect for entries of the agricultural products for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, at 12:01 am ET on Thursday, Nov. 13.

A listing of the HTS codes for the products effected by this order can found in the Annex to the Executive Order.

White House Announces Reciprocal Trade Frameworks with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala

On November 13, 2025, the White House announced reaching framework agreements on reciprocal trade and investment with Argentina and framework agreements on reciprocal trade with Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Argentina

In the Joint Statement on Framework for a United States-Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment, the White House announced that the U.S. will remove the reciprocal tariffs on certain unavailable natural resources and non-patented articles for use in pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, the U.S. may positively consider the effect that the agreement has on national security, including taking the agreement into consideration when taking trade action under Section 232.

Under the framework agreement Argentina will provide preferential market access for U.S. goods exports, including certain medicines, chemicals, machinery, information technologies products, medical devices, motor vehicles, and a wide range of agricultural products. Further information on changes that Argentina has agreed to in the area of trade, including non-tariff barriers, intellectual property rights and agricultural imports from the U.S. is available in the White House announcement.

Ecuador

In the Joint Statement on Framework for a United States-Ecuador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade the U.S. commits to remove its reciprocal tariffs on certain qualifying exports from Ecuador that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the U.S. in sufficient quantities.

The U.S. and Ecuador will work together to address Ecuador’s non-tariff barriers that affect trade in priority areas. For example, Ecuador commits to reforming its import licensing and facility registration systems for food and agricultural products to enhance transparency and predictability and reduce onerous and unnecessary barriers to U.S. agricultural exports. 

El Salvador

Under the Joint Statement on Framework for a United States-El Salvador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade the U.S. will remove the reciprocal tariffs on El Salvador’s exports to the U.S. for certain qualifying exports that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the U.S. in sufficient quantities, as well as certain products, such as textiles and apparel products, originating under the CAFTA-DR. In addition, the United States may positively consider the effect that the agreement has on national security, including taking the agreement into consideration when taking trade action under Section 232. 

El Salvador has committed to addressing a wide range of non-tariff barriers affecting trade in priority areas, including streamlining regulatory requirements and approvals for U.S. exports, such as pharmaceutical products and medical devices; removing import restrictions on remanufactured goods; accepting U.S. auto standards; streamlining certificate of free sale requirements, accepting electronic certificates; removing apostille requirements; and expediting product registration requirements for U.S. exports. Further, El Salvador has committed to move forward with certain international intellectual property treaties and will refrain from imposing discriminatory digital services taxes. 

Guatemala

In the Joint Statement on Framework for a United States-Guatemala Agreement on Reciprocal Trade the U.S. commits to removing the reciprocal tariffs on Guatemala’s exports to the U.S. for certain qualifying exports that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the U.S. in sufficient quantities, as well as certain products, such as textiles and apparel products, originating under the CAFTA-DR.

Guatemala has committed under the agreement to address a wide range of non-tariff barriers affecting trade in priority areas, including streamlining regulatory requirements and approvals for U.S. exports including pharmaceutical products and medical devices; removing import restrictions on remanufactured goods; accepting U.S. auto standards; and streamlining certificate of free sale requirements, accepting electronic certificates, removing apostille requirements, and expediting product registration requirements for U.S. exports. Further among the areas that Guatemala will address includes barriers to U.S. agricultural products in its market and a robust standard for intellectual property protection and enforcement, including fully implementing certain international intellectual property treaties and taking steps to resolve many long-standing intellectual property issues identified in the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report.

For further information about these and other customs matters, contact George Tuttle III at geo@tuttlelaw.com or 415-986-8780.

The information in this article is general in natur e and is not intended to constitute legal advice or to create an attorney-client relationship with respect to any event or occurrence and may not be considered as such.

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