The decision of Donald Trump The elimination of tariffs on coffee has raised expectations among consumers and retailers in the United States, where the price of this product reached record levels in 2025. However, initial forecasts indicate that the effect of the measure will only become apparent after some time and that the value on the shelves will not immediately fall.
The government ordered the tariff abolished in November amid complaints about the rise in the cost of some imported foods during the president’s second term. The selling price for ground roasted coffee In September it reached $9.14 per poundwhich represented a 3% monthly increase and 41% compared to the same period in 2024, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. It was the highest value since recording.
The rise became a challenge for companies. Laila Ghambari, owner of Guilder Coffee Company in Portland, Oregon, explained CBS News that small businesses had to absorb the impact of tariffs and fluctuations in the international market for months. “We have bags of coffee on our menu that cost $28.50. That’s a lot of money,” he said. The businesswoman described a scenario characterized by an increase in various imported products and expressed concerns about the difficulty of passing on the new costs to consumers.
Eliminating the tax does not guarantee an immediate reduction. Ghambari estimated that it was the first duty-free import of coffee Completion will not take place until February 2026so there could be a price reduction after this date. Until then, companies will have to continue with the inventory purchased under the previous regime, delaying any change in the final value.
In addition, there were climatic impacts in the producing countries, which were faced with harvest problems and a decline in supply. Analysts noted that the combination of tariffs and weather conditions reduced supplier responsiveness and created additional pricing pressure.
Judith Ganes, President of J. Ganes Consulting, informs Reuters that thousands of bags of Brazilian coffee remained in bonded warehouses and that their transfer to American roasters would begin following the executive order. Brazil contributes about 30% of the supply which is entering the country and was most affected by the 10 percent counter-tariff that the White House applied in April of this year.
Retailers warned that they needed time to recoup their investments during the higher interest rate months. The impact on their accounts increased even though certain products, such as coffee, received exemptions nearly a month before the president’s latest decision.
For consumers the question arises cWhen will the price drop become noticeable? For now, the answer depends on import deadlines and the normalization of the supply chain. The fact is that prices reached a record high in September and, according to analysts, the market will need several more weeks to show the expected decline.
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