Overview
- The 50 percent tariff on Brazilian coffee imports starts August 1 and applies to all unroasted and roasted beans.
- Industry analysts predict a 10 percent rise in wholesale costs that will add about 25 cents to the price of a cup of coffee within three months.
- Brazil accounted for more than one-third of U.S. coffee imports last year after multi-year droughts pushed prices to their highest levels since 1977.
- Brazilian exporters are securing buyers outside the United States, prompting major roasters to consider shifting purchases to Vietnamese robusta that could alter bean quality.
- The White House framed the tariff partly as retaliation for legal actions against Jair Bolsonaro, signaling an escalation in U.S.-Brazil trade tensions.