Full list of ‘family favourite’ food items targeted for price cuts in Budget 2026
The government says it will remove tariffs on more than 100 food products, including supermarket staples such as baked beans, gherkins and chocolate, as part of measures intended to ease household costs. The cuts are expected to be included in Wednesday’s Budget, alongside other measures aimed at helping workers, parents, carers and farmers.
The Treasury estimates the food tariff changes will save households around £21 a year on shopping. Other proposals include keeping the 55p mileage rate for the first 10,000 work miles and raising the rate for additional miles from 25p to 35p; extending parental pay to more than 150,000 parents annually; and tapering carer’s allowance as earnings rise above the limit. Tariffs on fertilisers and kerosene would also be cut.
In short
- Tariffs on more than 100 food products are set to be removed.
- The Treasury estimates households will save about £21 a year.
- The Budget package also includes changes to work mileage and parental pay.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Removing tariffs on everyday foods could modestly lower import costs and ease pressure on household budgets, especially for families facing tight finances. A broader set of measures for workers, parents, carers and farmers may also spread support across groups with different needs.
The case against
The estimated food savings of about £21 per household a year may be too small to make a noticeable difference, and tariff cuts do not guarantee that retailers will pass lower costs on to shoppers. Critics could also question whether reducing import duties is the best use of public revenue, or whether targeted support would help households more directly.
Explained simply
Tariffs are taxes charged on some goods brought into the UK from abroad. They can add to the cost of importing food, although the price shoppers pay also depends on other costs, such as transport, production and retailers’ pricing.
The proposals sit within the government’s wider use of tax and spending measures to affect household costs and support workers, families, carers and farmers. Changes to tariffs on food and farm supplies can matter to importers and producers as well as shoppers, but their effect on prices depends on how much of the saving is passed on.
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