The government has published a list of 125 everyday essentials it wants to shield from import tariffs until December 2028, in a move aimed at easing the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis linked to the Middle East war. The list includes garlic, white chocolate, bread and baked beans, and the consultation on which items will actually get the relief runs until 24 June.
That deadline is now the key date for households and businesses watching for cheaper prices on common goods. Rachel Reeves announced the plan last week, but this week the government put the full list on the table, turning a broad promise into a detailed package that could affect everything from food basics to some household staples if the cuts go ahead.
The proposal is part of a wider effort to keep down the price of living at a time when many families are still feeling the effects of higher costs. Alongside the tariff plan, ministers have announced free bus travel for children in England during August, the Great British Summer Savings scheme that cuts VAT to 5% for various family activities over the summer, an extension of the fuel duty cut and a higher tax-free mileage rate for people using their own vehicle for work. Funding for the chemicals and ceramics industries has also been set out to help lower business costs.
The tariff plan does not yet amount to a final decision. The government says any suspension will be judged on the benefits for consumers, but it will also weigh the impact on domestic producers, developing country interests, food security, wider international commitments and other relevant factors. It is also asking whether suspending tariffs on certain fertilisers could help farmers deal with rising fertiliser prices caused by the Middle East war.
That balance leaves the sharpest question unresolved: which of the 125 items will clear the consultation and which will be left out. The government has already moved once this year, announcing earlier plans to suspend tariffs on products including some fruits, fruit juices, pasta, cous cous and tuna, but the next round will depend on what businesses and other stakeholders say before 24 June. If ministers decide to proceed, the cuts would run until December 2028 and could reach well beyond the checkout aisle, but only after they decide how much relief consumers need against the costs to farmers and producers.
