Story
US Coffee Industry Urges Administration to Maintain Tariff Exemption for Brazilian Coffee
Summary
The National Coffee Association has asked the Trump administration to keep green coffee beans from Brazil exempt from tariffs and to add instant coffee to the tariff-free list. The request was made during a public consultation reviewing potential tariffs on Brazilian imports.
The U.S. coffee industry is urging the Trump administration to maintain the current tariff exemption for Brazilian green coffee beans. During a public consultation session on Wednesday, the National Coffee Association (NCA) also requested that instant coffee from Brazil be added to the list of tariff-free products.
The appeal comes as the U.S. government conducts a Section 301 investigation into Brazil's trade practices, which could result in new tariffs on a range of Brazilian goods. Brazil is the world's largest producer and exporter of coffee and supplies approximately one-third of the coffee consumed in the United States.
William Murray, President of the NCA, argued that keeping these imports tariff-free benefits the U.S. economy and American consumers. He noted that previous tariffs have led to "highly visible price inflation on popular products," putting pressure on U.S. companies.
AdThe NCA highlighted the importance of instant coffee for the competitiveness of the U.S. industry, particularly for new products like ready-to-drink canned coffees. A previous 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee was disruptive until green coffee was granted an exemption. Instant coffee, however, remains subject to a 10% global tariff.