Trump Allows Tariff Exemptions for Some Nuts Under US Trade Deals
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on September 5 outlining the circumstances under which imports of certain nuts may enjoy tariff exemptions under trade deals with the US.
An annex to the executive order contains a list of products “that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the United States or grown, mined, or naturally produced in sufficient quantities in the United States to satisfy domestic demand” and for which Trump “may be willing to provide a zero percent reciprocal tariff rate.”
The aforementioned annex includes the following entries:
| HTSUS* | Description |
| 0801.21.00 | Brazil nuts, fresh or dried, in shell |
| 0801.22.00 | Brazil nuts, fresh or dried, shelled |
| 0801.31.00 | Cashew nuts, fresh or dried, in shell |
| 0801.32.00 | Cashew nuts, fresh or dried, shelled |
| 0802.61.00 | Macadamia nuts, in shell |
| 0802.62.00 | Macadamia nuts, shelled |
| 0802.91.10 | Pignolia pine nuts, fresh or dried, in shell |
| 0802.91.90 | Pine nuts (other than Pignolia), fresh or dried, in shell |
| 0802.92.10 | Pignolia pine nuts, fresh or dried, shelled |
| 0802.92.90 | Pine nuts (other than Pignolia), fresh or dried, shelled |
* Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
In situations where a country has struck a “reciprocal” trade deal with the US, the executive order empowers the Secretary of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to waive tariffs on products included in the annex without a new executive order from Trump.
As noted by Reuters, this executive order brings US tariffs in line with its commitments in existing framework deals such as those with the EU and Japan.
India-UK: Trade Deal to Liberalize Access for Nuts and Dried Fruits
India and the UK signed a trade deal on July 24, 2025. According to an explainer published by the UK government, the UK will eliminate tariffs on 99% of Indian goods, while India will remove or reduce tariffs, or keep pre-existing zero tariffs, on 90% of tariff lines, which will cover 92% of existing goods imports from the UK.
The Schedule of Tariff Commitments of the United Kingdom, wherein staging category A means that the customs duty on the good shall be eliminated on the date of entry into force of the agreement, includes the following entries:
| Commodity code (2022) | Indicative description of goods | Staging category |
| 08 | Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons. (Note: This category includes tree nuts, dates, dried apricots, dried figs, dried grapes, and prunes.) | A |
| 12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder. (Note: This category includes peanuts.) | A |
| 20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants. (Note: This category includes dried cranberries.) | A |
Both countries must complete their domestic procedures before the agreement will come into effect.
Mercosur-EU: Trade Deal Sent to Council for Formal Adoption
The European Commission has put forward its proposal to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA). The proposal includes two parallel legal instruments:
- the EMPA, which is subject to separate ratification by all Member States; and
- an interim trade agreement for Mercosur, covering only those parts of the EMPA that are of exclusive EU competence, to be adopted through the EU-only ratification process (that is, involving the European Parliament and the Council of the EU). The interim trade agreement will expire when the EMPA enters into force.
Mexico-EU: Trade Deal Sent to Council for Formal Adoption
The European Commission has put forward its proposal to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the EU-Mexico Modernized Global Agreement (MGA). The proposal includes two parallel legal instruments:
- the MGA, which is subject to separate ratification by all Member States; and
- an interim trade agreement for Mexico, covering only those parts of the MGA that are of exclusive EU competence, to be adopted through the EU-only ratification process (that is, involving the European Parliament and the Council of the EU). The interim trade agreement will expire when the MGA enters into force.