Seriously, More Tariffs?

Hello! I took a week off from the Roundup to go visit my sister in Denmark (Odense has a pretty lively coffee scene, it turns out) but now I'm back and ready to regale you with the latest coffee news.

Here's what's been going on:

• Coffee from Brazil could soon be more expensive for U.S. buyers. Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all imports from Brazil for a variety of incoherent and petty reasons, and the coffee industry could be one of the most impacted: Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and the U.S. its largest export market. One expert told Reuters that "a tariff of this size would all but shut down" the coffee trade between the two countries.
• Coffee production has struggled to keep up with rising global demand amid the ravages of climate change. However, the International Coffee Organization thinks that will soon change: high commodity prices have incentivised farmers to plant more trees and once they begin to produce in a few years the world's coffee supply should increase. Of course by that time demand will probably have grown even more, and climate change isn't going anywhere, so we might just be in the same position again.
• Most lots that win a country's Cup of Excellence green coffee competition are immediately snapped up by wealthy foreign buyers. However, in a world first, this year's CoE in Honduras saw the top two lots purchased by a Honduran roaster. "This is a powerful moment for Honduras", said CoE managing director Gary Urrutia. "For the first time, people in Honduras will be able to experience the absolute best of their own coffee".

For more on all these stories, plus some probably positive coffee health news, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

Coffee News Club: Week of July 14th

Click to find out what country may be facing a 50% tariff on coffee exports. That and more—here’s the news for the week of July 14th.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

It's a couple of weeks old at this point, but if you missed my latest article on the shifting balance of political power within coffee, you can check it out here:

Coffee’s Soft Power Shift

The United States has long been at the centre of the global coffee industry. But as policies shift under the Trump administration, that dominance is under threat.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

Meanwhile for my paid subscribers, I wrote a bit more about the Brazil tariffs and the uncertainty that is engulfing the coffee industry:

The Never-Ending Tariff Story

For paid subscribers: Donald Trump’s latest arbitrary tariff threat, this time against Brazil, has once again enveloped the coffee industry in chaos and uncertainty. When will it end?

The PouroverFionn Pooler

I'll be back on Friday with a new article, but until then it's goodbye from Maru: