Tariffs Brew Trouble for Coffee Roasters

Rising costs of coffee cherries are keeping roasters and their customers on edge.

Most coffee imports come from Brazil (30.7% of U.S. imports by net weight).

Retail coffee prices jumped nearly 21% in August compared to the same period last year—and the Trump administration’s tariffs are largely to blame, Auzinea Bacon reported for CNN.

In July, Brazil was hit with one of the highest duties at 50%, while Vietnam faced 20% tariffs and Colombia 10%, according to the report. The United States imports more than 99% of its coffee, according to the National Coffee Association (NCA).

Most comes from Brazil (30.7% of U.S. imports by net weight), Colombia (18.3%), and Vietnam (6.6%), according to UN Comtrade data.

The average price of regular coffee at restaurants in August was 10 cents higher than the same time last year, reaching $3.52, according to data from Toast, a restaurant management software provider.

Some relief may be on the way. In September, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act to exempt coffee products from tariffs.

Price hikes may encourage some consumers to brew at home more often, though many will likely continue buying from local shops as occasional indulgences.

“Consumers may change brands, shop for deals, or perhaps go down in quality—or what they perceive as a quality level—in order to save a little bit of money,” said Erin McLaughlin, senior economist at the Conference Board, a nonprofit research group.