Trumps’ New Executive Order Exempts Coconut from Reciprocal Tariffs

On November 14, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) expanding exemptions under reciprocal tariffs. The measure applies to agricultural products not locally produced in the US, benefiting countries like the Philippines that rely heavily on export-driven rural economies.  

The new EO, which went into effect retroactively on November 13, effectively removes the reciprocal tariff of 19 percent for tropical fruits and other agricultural products not widely available in the United States.  Beneficial to the Philippines is the exemption on reciprocal tariffs for coconut products (coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut water, prepared or preserved coconuts); fruit juices; processed pineapples; bananas, other than pulp; dried guavas, mangoes, and mangosteen; frozen tuna fillets; rice wafer products; and confectionery products.

In 2024, the Philippines exported USD 14.57 billion worth of goods to the US. Agricultural exports made up USD 1.03 billion of that total and coconut-based products alone accounted for 60 percent of these exports, according to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque.  She said that in a briefing at their office in Makati City on November 18. She called coconuts the ‘star’ of Philippine agriculture exports.