Could a White House trade deal with parts of Latin America mean cheaper groceries in the US?

Live from the UK, this is the Marketplace Morning Report from the BBC World Service.

I'm Sarah Rogers. Good morning.

Donald Trump is set to cut import taxes on coffee, bananas and beef as part of trade agreements with four Latin American countries aimed at

easing food prices in the US. A tariff of 10% will stay on most goods from Guatemala,

Argentina and El Salvador, as well of 15% tax on imports from Ecuador. But staples like coffee,

which the US can't produce enough of itself, will be exempt.

To talk about that, and if Switzerland could also be nearing a deal,

Professor of International Trade at IMD University in Switzerland, Simon Evenett.

Hi, Simon.

Hi.

What looks to have been agreed and what impact is that going to have?

The White House made available for statements of deals that it's cooking with Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador and Guatemala.

The fact that they've put out this package at the same time really, I think, shows that the US is trying to build its own influence within the

Western Hemisphere. This administration has made it very clear that it wants a Latin American

countries and North American neighbours to orient much more towards the United States and to thin

their ties with China. And have we seen an inflationary impact of tariffs as well?

Is it hitting the consumer?

And is that driving things?

Within the US now, inflation is ticking up for consumers as the tariffs are feeding into

higher prices.

This has led to concerns about cost of living, which are really salient.

...