NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The price of your morning coffee might go up in the coming months.
This week, President Trump announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports.
Around a third of coffee consumed in the U.S. comes from Brazil. The country shipped over 8 million sacks to the U.S. last year alone.
Bongo Java, a popular Nashville coffee brand, doesn't buy from Brazil, but they have felt costs rising among other international tariffs.
"The few coffees we've had to reorder are now 20% to 45% more expensive. When you add in extra dock fees because the ports can't get the coffee out, so they sit there longer, or they're being hit by tariffs...it's like we're getting hit every which way," explained owner Bob Bernstein.
They import from countries like Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Rwanda and Honduras, many of which have existing tariffs under the current administration.
Because coffee largely doesn't grow in the US, local manufacturers rely almost entirely on international imports. That means they have no choice but to work around tariffs, which can be an uphill battle for a small business like Bernstein's.
"I mean, we've dealt with tornadoes, we've dealt with COVID in the last 5 years, we've dealt with building collapses, we've dealt with everything...and now we're dealing with tariffs," he said.
While Bongo Java doesn't buy directly from Brazil, they might still feel the effects of the potential 50% tariff on the country. Bernstein explained the exorbitant cost may send other buyers away from Brazil's product, and towards the ones they buy — in turn, driving up cost.
"So it's really uncertain," he concluded. "We're gonna start running out of coffees, we're gonna have to charge more for other coffees...it's gonna be a mess."
He said at this rate, his customers' coffee cups might go up in price a quarter or more.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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