Late last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order modifying the scope of the Administration’s reciprocal tariffs first announced on April 2, 2025. The changes were framed as part of the Administration’s effort to address consumer affordability concerns. Significant pressure came from agricultural sectors reliant on imported inputs—such as fertilizers—which are difficult to source domestically. Importers and grocery retailers also advocated for broader exemptions to help ease food prices.
Reciprocal tariffs are designed to match or mirror tariff levels imposed by foreign governments on U.S. products. Under the revised structure, several agricultural and food items received new exemptions.
For citrus, the changes were mixed:
- Lemons and mandarins remain subject to reciprocal tariffs, ensuring continued tariff parity during the domestic growing season.
- Oranges and limes were newly exempted, and grapefruit was exempted only during the month of December.
The exemption for oranges is of particular concern, as orange imports significantly overlap with the U.S. production window and compete directly with domestic growers. Removing reciprocal tariffs on oranges weakens the policy’s intended purpose and may put downward pressure on grower returns during peak seasons in California, Florida, and Texas.
CCM is coordinating closely with Florida Citrus Mutual and Texas Citrus Mutual to request meetings with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The objective is to preserve the reciprocal tariff framework for all citrus varieties during the domestic production season and to provide USTR with clearer data on import volumes, pricing impacts, and seasonality to better inform future adjustments.
We will continue updating members as additional details become available.
To read the announcement from the White House, click here.
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