Pesach Prices Slashed: Matzah & Arba Minim Get Tariff Break

By FrumNews.com

Washington, DC — Last week, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that exempts tariffs on hundreds of products, including Matzah and the Arba Minim.

In the annex to the executive order, the administration lists three of the daled minim: “Etrogs…Date palm branches [lulavim], and Myrtus branches [hadasim] or other vegetable material [which would likely include Aravos], for religious purposes only.” 

Previous tariffs would have made both matzah and the daled minim more expensive—as much as an estimated 20%—due to most of the stock being imported from tariffed countries, such as Israel, Ukraine and Italy. 

As Pesach approaches, this brings relief to the frum community. This accommodation builds upon the precedent of other exemptions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for certain religious items and is consistent with the Trump administration’s focus on protecting religious freedom.

“Thank you to the Trump administration for once again accommodating religious practices by exempting the Arba Minim and Matzah from reciprocal tariffs and making it easier for Jewish families to celebrate their holidays,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel’s national director of government affairs. “We appreciate that the White House took the matter seriously when we and others brought up these issues and worked with the relevant agencies to find a solution.”

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Another matzah story, which was first reported by FrumNews, that raised prices on Matzah was the New York City’s “environmental regulation” decree on Matzah Bakeries, which potentially is forcing heavy costs to NYC’s Matzah Bakeries by the city and state of New York, as collateral damage.

FrumNews reported in April that EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s rollback of regulations didn’t override NY’s decree on the Matzah Bakeries. 

Nevertheless, EPA Administrator Zeldin’s office is aware of the NYC matzah bakery ban, and his office is considering all legal options against the state of New York to save the Matzah bakeries.

These tariff exemptions might be just the first step.