U.S. coffee drinkers and businesses will pay the price for Trump's Brazil tariffs

[applegrove]

U.S. coffee drinkers and businesses will pay the price for Trump's Brazil tariffs

July 21, 20255:00 AM ET

Jaclyn Diaz

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/21/nx-s1-5470131/us-coffee-prices-brazil-trump-tariffs

At a small, industrial roastery in Washington, D.C., the nutty, inviting smell of roasting coffee hangs heavy in the air. It's where Lost Sock Roasters, a local company, roasts and packages its coffee beans — destined for its two cafes, customers' homes and local bakeries and restaurants.

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After nearly a decade of running the company with co-founder Nico Cabrera, Lost Sock's Jeff Yerxa says the strong coffee aroma barely registers. "I can't even smell it anymore," he says with a laugh.

But something else is grabbing his attention these days: tariffs.

This month, President Trump announced plans to levy a 50% tariff on all goods from Brazil — the world's largest coffee producer and the source of about 30% of U.S. coffee imports. That's on top of the 10% tariff that impacts nearly everything the U.S. brings in. This looming tariff threat has sent shock waves through the U.S. coffee industry, raising fears especially among small roasters like Lost Sock.