Three and a half months have passed since the 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods imported to America, including coffee, went into effect. And since then there have been only turbulences. Before the tariffs were introduced, the commodity price for coffee futures was $2.84 per pound and has since risen to as high as $4.17. Bipartisan groups in the House and Senate have proposed exemptions for coffee. Meanwhile, the president threatened higher tariffs on Colombia, America’s second-leading trading partner (which, like the $2,000 tariff check he said every American would receive, has yet to happen).
Relief may actually be coming, however, as members of the Trump administration stated this week that something “significant” would be announced soon.
As reported NBC Newson Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that “tariff relief will be announced soon on a number of everyday consumer items.” He noted that the break would cover goods that are not produced in America, and specifically mentioned coffee, as well as bananas and other fruits, as among the imported goods that could receive relief.
According to NBC, even the president promised tariff relief and called coffee a benefactor. “Coffee, we will reduce some tariffs,” he announced. – Let’s have some coffee.
On Fox, Bessent said that “Americans will start to feel better” about inflation, which has been rising every month since April, reaching 3% in September in early 2026.
Any relief would be welcome at this point. America imports more coffee than any other country, with Brazil supplying about a third of that amount, leading to a global shift in how countries trade coffee, which has only further complicated the situation for both producers and buyers. Removing tariffs would be the first step towards stability in the supply chain. Now we’ll see if/when it actually comes.
