Commodities

US Coffee Drinkers Face Pricier Cup as Tariffs Hit Key Supplier

Switching to arabica may not be viable as robusta is critical for instant coffee and espresso.
Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Anuradha Raghu, Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, and Maddie Parker

April 3, 2025 at 7:26 AM UTC

Updated on

April 3, 2025 at 5:45 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Coffee in the US risks getting even more expensive as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff measures hit Vietnam, one of its biggest suppliers, with hefty levies.

The Southeast Asian nation is the world’s leading producer of robusta coffee, the variety used in instant drinks and espressos. The 46% tariff on Vietnam’s goods — among the highest of the rates Trump imposed against US trading partners — threatens to disrupt flows and comes as coffee costs have already soared on the back of harvest shortfalls.