What's the Tariff on Coffee (Roasted)?

Roasted coffee entering the US now faces a 10% tariff for the first time in modern history — raw coffee beans have been duty-free since 1832 as a deliberate policy to keep America's favorite beverage affordable. The Section 122 baseline tariff breaks nearly two centuries of free coffee trade. Colombia, Brazil, and Ethiopia are the primary origins, with roasting increasingly done at origin to capture more value (Colombian single-origin, Ethiopian specialty). The US imports $8B in coffee annually, and while 10% sounds modest, coffee is purchased frequently — the cumulative household impact is significant. Specialty coffee shops face margin compression as wholesale costs rise. The tariff also disrupts fair trade economics: origin-country roasters who invested in equipment to export finished product are penalized versus green bean exporters. Major roasters like Starbucks and JDE Peet's will likely absorb some cost initially but pass increases through within 6-12 months.