Bipartisan bill would exempt coffee from tariffs as prices rise
Lawmakers Don Bacon and Ro Khanna plan to shield coffee from duties imposed since President Trump took office, arguing consumer costs are climbing.
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers plans to introduce legislation that would exempt coffee from tariffs imposed since President Donald Trump took office, arguing the policy contributes to higher consumer prices. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and would carve out exemptions for roasted and decaffeinated coffee, coffee husks and skins, and drinks that contain coffee. The Washington Post reported that the measure could be introduced as soon as Friday.
"Why are we tariffing American citizens on something that we don't even grow? It doesn't make sense," Bacon told The Post. Khanna said the effort also seeks to frame tariffs as a broad driver of inflation, telling the Post, "We can talk about it more broadly, in terms of the prices going up because of tariffs."
While Bacon and Khanna acknowledge the bill faces long odds in a GOP-controlled House, a Senate that requires 60 votes, and then a signature from the White House, they say the effort could help build opposition to tariffs. "The real goal is to get Trump to shift," Khanna told The Washington Post.
Prices for coffee have already jumped roughly 21% since this time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rising cost of coffee has hit households, with critics arguing tariffs on imported goods rip into everyday purchases.
Coffee's U.S. demand is largely met through imports from Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Nicaragua, nations that face tariffs of 50%, 20%, 10%, and 18%, respectively, under the Trump administration. Domestic production remains limited to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and California, far from enough to meet demand.
The problem is compounded by a global shortage of coffee beans, driven by rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns that have caused droughts and floods in key producer countries. Brazil has faced its most severe drought in 70 years, while Vietnam endured flooding after a prolonged drought. The two countries supply about 56% of the world's coffee.
Two-thirds of American adults drink coffee daily, according to the National Coffee Association, making even small price changes feel acute for many households. Bacon and Khanna say passing the exemption would be uphill, requiring broad support in a deeply partisan environment, but the effort could help shift the public dialogue around tariffs.
The White House has not publicly responded to requests for comment on the proposal. The Trump administration has already carved out tariff exemptions for certain goods, including critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and cork, illustrating the selective approach that has characterized some tariff policies.
As lawmakers weigh the potential impact of such exemptions, the coffee proposal underscores how tariff decisions can intersect with everyday costs and domestic politics, a sign of the ongoing tug-of-war inside U.S. politics over trade policy and inflation.