It’s been three and a half months since the 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods entering America, coffee included, was enacted. And it’s been nothing but turbulence since. Before the tariffs, the price of coffee futures on the commodity market sat at $2.84 per pound and have since shot up as high as $4.17. Bipartisan groups in both the House and the Senate have proposed exemptions for coffee. Meanwhile the president threatened higher tariffs on Colombia, America’s second leading coffee trading partner (which, like the $2,000 tariff check he stated every American would receive, has yet to materialize).
But relief may actually be on the way, as members of the Trump administration have stated this week that something “substantial” would be announced shortly.
As reported by NBC News, on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that “tariff relief for a number of everyday consumer items would be announced shortly.” He noted that the break would apply to good that aren’t produced in America and specifically cited coffee, along with bananas and other fruits, as one of the imports that could expect relief.
Per NBC, even the president has promised tariff relief and named coffee as the benefactor. “Coffee, we’re going to lower some tariffs,” he stated. “We’re going to have some coffee come in.”
On Fox, Bessent said that “the American people are going to start feeling better” about inflation, which has risen every month since April, including hitting 3% in September, in early 2026.
At this point any relief would be welcome. America imports more coffee than any other country, with Brazil providing about a third of that, which has led to a global shift in where countries are trading coffee that has only further complicated things for producers and buyers alike. Removing the tariffs would be the first step to stability in the supply chain. Now to see if/when it actually comes.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
