Washington, D.C. – Qahwa World

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to exempt coffee imports from new reciprocal tariffs that have driven up consumer prices nationwide.

Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) sent a joint letter to the White House requesting that coffee be added to the list of goods excluded under Executive Order 14257, arguing that tariffs on a commodity the U.S. scarcely produces only hurt consumers.

“We respectfully request your administration exempt coffee from reciprocal tariff measures that are drastically increasing its price,” the lawmakers wrote. “Given that our nation consumes around 400 million cups per day, this is one modest but meaningful way to help the American people.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, coffee prices in the U.S. rose 20.9% year-over-year in August 2025. The National Coffee Association reports that roughly 99% of all coffee consumed in the country is imported, mainly from Latin America and Africa.

Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs aim to level global trade terms, but coffee — not listed among exempt goods — has seen costs rise sharply. Khanna and Bacon note that Hawaii and Puerto Rico produce only small specialty quantities, representing less than 1% of domestic consumption.

“Tariffs on coffee do not protect domestic businesses and interests—they only raise costs and amount to an additional tax on American consumers,” the letter said. “It is not practical to tariff a product that our nation does not meaningfully produce.”

The lawmakers warned that higher import costs are forcing small coffee shops and hospitality businesses to raise prices or close altogether. Khanna, whose district covers Silicon Valley, said he regularly hears from café owners struggling to stay afloat.

The two legislators also recently introduced the “No Coffee Tax Act”, seeking to repeal coffee-related tariffs entirely. Bacon, who will retire from Congress next year, called the policy “a punishment to Americans,” adding, “There is no American alternative to coffee — why tariff something we can’t grow?”

A White House spokesman, Kush Desai, responded that the President had already included coffee among goods eligible for tariff-free treatment under certain trade deals, and blamed global supply disruptions in producing regions for recent price hikes.

Despite that clarification, the bipartisan pressure reflects growing unease over the wider economic impact of Trump’s tariff agenda — from agricultural exports to daily consumer goods such as coffee, a staple for two-thirds of American adults.

Don Bacon

Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash Over Coffee Tariffs