The Banana Association of North America (BANA) announced that the cost of the fruit could go up by as much as $250 million a year under the 10 percent reciprocal tariff imposed on April 5 by the Trump Administration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that more than $2.5 billion worth of fresh bananas were imported into the U.S. in 2024, meeting the ever-increasing demand of American banana consumers.

Although the Administration stated that one of the purposes of reciprocal tariffs is to bring more business to the U.S., bananas and other tropical fruits cannot be commercially grown in the U.S. Rather than fulfilling this purpose, American consumers shopping for bananas–both organic and conventional–will see prices rise at supermarkets across the country.

Another purpose of the reciprocal tariff is to address uneven trade balances between the U.S. and its foreign trading partners. More than 90 percent of bananas sold in the U.S. are imported from just five countries –Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Although these countries are all included in the 10 percent tariff framework, U.S. Census Bureau international trade data actually shows that the U.S. has a collective positive balance of trade with these countries, exporting $4.7 billion more in goods to these countries than it imports.

Collectively, the organization says these facts demonstrate that the chief objectives of the reciprocal tariff are largely inapplicable to bananas.

“Clearly, American consumers will suffer higher prices from tariffs on bananas, without producing significant economic benefits for the U.S. Our balance of trade with banana-producing countries is already positive, and there is no potential to meaningfully drive U.S. banana production in the U.S. given the climate in which bananas grow,” said Tom Stenzel, executive director of BANA.

“We support the Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and ensure fair trade for American businesses. However, we also urge the Administration to recognize the unique role of bananas and other tropical fruits, and the frightening financial impact that these tariffs pose for U.S. consumers.”

Source: freshplaza.com