Foodservice

Food giants seek tariff exemptions on key imports

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March 14, 2025

Major U.S. food manufacturers, including PepsiCo (Quaker Oats), Conagra (Folgers), and J.M. Smucker, are requesting targeted exemptions from newly imposed tariffs on specific imported ingredients, according to areport by US News and World Report. The request, a letter sent to the Trump administration, outlines the companies' concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on consumer prices and manufacturing costs.

The companies are seeking exemptions for ingredients that are not readily available from domestic U.S. sources, such as cocoa, coffee, oats, spices, tropical fruits and tin mill steel (used in specialty food and household goods packaging). The letter argues that these exemptions are necessary to protect U.S. manufacturers and mitigate the risk of increased costs being passed on to consumers, who are already experiencing the effects of recent inflation.

The Consumer Brands Association, representing these and other consumer product companies, emphasized that the requested exemptions are intended to be "targeted and carefully calibrated" to support U.S. manufacturing while also addressing concerns about rising consumer prices. The letter also highlighted the importance of strategically implementing trade enforcement measures, including tariffs, to ensure they protect domestic manufacturers.