ASTA Statement on New Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariffs - September 7, 2025
See ASTA's response to the Trump Administration's September 5 Executive Order, which provides a framework to reduce or remove tariffs for unavailable natural resources, including spices, in trade deals.
The following statement is attributable to Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA):
“ASTA applauds President Trump’s new Executive Order providing the Administration flexibility in bilateral trade agreements to lower or remove tariffs on certain products, including those agricultural products that cannot be grown ‘in sufficient quantities in the United States to satisfy domestic demand.’ This is a greatly encouraging step that could signal tariff relief for unavailable natural resources, such as spices. While this Executive Order provides a promising path to reduce tariffs on spices that cannot grow in the U.S., the implementation still requires the completion of trade deals with key producing countries that specify these products.
“Many essential spices, including cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla, require tropical conditions and cannot be cultivated domestically on a commercial scale. ASTA has worked closely with the Trump Administration in recent months to demonstrate that tariffs on these products do not stimulate U.S. production or create American jobs. Instead, they add financial pressure on U.S. food manufacturers, restaurants, and ultimately, consumers at a time many Americans are already struggling with high costs.
“While the new Executive Order covers the vast majority spices, it appears that a few key spices were not named, such as sage, basil and mustard. ASTA hopes to continue to work with the Administration to modify the list as needed to cover spices and herbs that are not grown in sufficient quantities in the U.S.
“ASTA supports the Administration’s America First trade policies and will continue collaborating with our partners in origin countries, such as India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, to support negotiation of bilateral deals that promote U.S. competitiveness and provide special tariff considerations for spices. It is critical that these government stakeholders advance fair and balanced trade policies that reflect the realities of global supply chains and protect U.S. spice industry and other American businesses, while keeping kitchen staples like spices accessible and affordable for American families.”
Related Resources
Multi-Industry Letter to White House on Port Negotiations
ASTA signed onto a coalition letter from multiple industries to President Biden and Vice President Harris in March 2022, imploring their early and persistent engagement in the impending contract negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), encouraging a timely and satisfactory resolution that advances the needs of both the workers and the ports in order to avoid further backups, delays, and higher costs.
ASTA Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Against New Tariffs on Spices Not Grown in the U.S.
On March 11, 2025, ASTA submitted a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the administration's call for information on unfair and non-reciprocal foreign trade practices. ASTA’s submission emphasizes the critical role of imported spices in the U.S. food supply and urges the government to avoid imposing tariffs on spices that cannot be commercially produced in the U.S., noting that such measures will raise costs for American businesses and consumers. ASTA recognizes the importance of supporting U.S.-grown spices but provides a list of many spices that must be imported due to climate limitations in the U.S., requesting that no new tariffs be imposed on these spices. ASTA also calls for a tariff-exclusion request process to allow individual entities to request exemptions from any tariffs that may be applied on food or agricultural items.
