Coffee emerges unscathed in the latest round of US tariffs – for now

An exemption is a major win for the National Coffee Association in the US – but many consumers may still be priced out of the daily cup of joe

Photo: Bernd Hildebrandt

An exemption is a major win for the National Coffee Association – but many US consumers could still be priced out of the daily cup of joe

US President Donald Trump has announced a fresh wave of trade tariffs on more than 80 countries. However, coffee has largely been exempted following successful lobbying from the National Coffee Association (NCA) and the Council of Coffee Exporters of Brazil (Cecafé).

New levies of up to 12.5% were imposed by the Trump Administration on 24 July 2026, targeting nations it says engage in forced labour practices – a claim that has been met with bewilderment internationally.

The tariffs apply to economies accounting for roughly 99% of US imports, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

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