Coffee Prices and Tariffs

A Note on Coffee Prices and Transparency

We believe in being transparent about both our pricing and the state of our business. Most of the coffee we roast comes from Coffee Shrub, a trusted sourcing partner committed to paying farmers fairly for their high-quality beans. Their standards align closely with ours, which is why we rarely buy from other importers. If you’re curious, you can see exactly what we purchase on their website.

I bring this up because Tom, the owner of Coffee Shrub, has been sharing thoughtful updates about rising coffee costs and new tariffs that impact all of us in the coffee industry. I’ll keep it brief here, but I’m happy to go into more detail if you're interested.

The Big Picture: Coffee Is Getting More Expensive

Over the past couple of years, the cost of producing and shipping coffee has steadily increased. Here’s what’s driving it:

• Farming costs – Fertilizer, fuel, and labor are all more expensive than they were just a few years ago.
• Shipping remains costly – transporting coffee from origin countries to the U.S. can now cost four to five times more than it did before the pandemic.
• Market price spikes – Even for small roasters like us, who work directly with ethical importers, the global coffee price is rising.
• Global supply pressures – Coffee shortages in Brazil and Vietnam are tightening supplies and pushing prices higher. Furthermore, the decline in supply gives traders an opportunity to profit from short-term price fluctuations, increasing market volatility. This creates a cycle that keeps driving prices around, even if it doesn’t truly represent the actual state of the global coffee supply.

What the New U.S. Coffee Tariff Means

As of April 2025, a new 10% import tariff has been placed on all coffee entering the U.S. This means that every bag of unroasted (green) coffee we buy now costs more, before it even reaches our roaster.

Importers like Coffee Shrub can’t absorb this extra cost, and unfortunately, neither can we. Simply put, this tariff is a tax that will be felt throughout the entire supply chain, ultimately passed on to the end consumer – you.

For context:

Currently, I pay about $7.50 per pound of green coffee, including shipping and shrinkage after roasting. For all the reasons above, Tom predicts the coffee price will be between $9.25 and $10 per pound during the second half of 2025. That would be $11.83 to $12.74 for us. That is crazy to me, but that's where we're headed. (Note: I buy 50 lb. boxes, and it costs about $35 to ship each one. I end up with 42 lbs. of roasted coffee from each 50 lb. box.)

I haven’t had to purchase coffee at the new, higher rates yet—but that time is coming. We’re committed to two non-negotiables: paying fair prices to farmers and the quality of coffee we offer.

We’re grateful for your continued support and understanding as we navigate these changes. If you ever have questions or want to know more about how we source and price our coffee, we’re always happy to share.

Cheers,

Tim