In response to the “No Coffee Tax Act,” legislation introduced September 19, 2025, by Reps. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) and Ro Khanna (D-California) to repeal the Trump Administration’s tariffs on coffee, Fairtrade America issued the following statements:
“Passing this bipartisan bill into law would be a huge relief for coffee farmers, small businesses across the U.S. that roast and sell coffee, and the 150 million Americans who drink coffee every day.
“Prior to the Trump Administration’s tariffs, the coffee industry was already in a tough spot. Droughts and extreme rainstorms caused a global supply shortage. The cost of coffee climbed to staggering highs which has left small roasters in the U.S. struggling to maintain their businesses. And moreover, coffee farmers often couldn’t realize the benefit of these higher prices due to increased costs and production challenges. Coffee has become more expensive, hurting consumers’ wallets for a product they love.
“The U.S. will never be able to grow enough coffee domestically to satisfy demand so charging an additional tax on top of the existing challenges is simply an unnecessary punishment for everyone who touches the global coffee supply chain. Repealing these tariffs, as well as those on other commodities that cannot be grown in the U.S., like cocoa and bananas, will help these already overstressed supply chains stabilize and help Americans save money on their grocery bills.”
–Amanda Archila, Executive Director, Fairtrade America
“Tariffs can disrupt access to what have been dependable markets for the small-scale farmers who grow most of Americans’ coffee and cocoa. These widely consumed commodities cannot be grown in the U.S. at scale, so it is possible that importers will push the import duties to be absorbed upstream by the farmers themselves. For small-scale farmers throughout Africa, many of whom already live in poverty, this means a devastating loss of income due to lower prices and reduced sales volumes.
“Rescinding the tariffs on commodities that are important exports for African economies and cannot be grown in the U.S. would remove a layer of uncertainty from what is already a high-risk business sector. Africa’s cocoa and coffee farmers, in particular, have been struggling for months with compounding crises. Climate change, rising production costs, and decades of underpayment from more powerful actors along their supply chains have made it nearly impossible for them to earn a decent living. Continuing the 10-30% tariff rates imposed across various countries will be a significant blow to Africa’s farmers and their communities.
“Young Africans have already turned away from farming as a career because it is seen as a dead end. Who will grow Americans’ beloved coffee and cocoa when the challenges become so extreme that no one is willing to farm these commodities?”
–Paul Colditz, Commercial Manager, Fairtrade Africa
