The Tariffs on Coffee Are Finally Gone

• For nearly eight months, the coffee industry (especially the U.S. coffee industry) has been dealing with the fallout from Donald Trump's absurd tariff regime. Importing coffee got more expensive overnight, for no discernible reason, the extra costs going not to farmers or workers but to the U.S. government. Last week signalled a change, with most tariffs rolled back. Now, the final holdout—the 40% tariffs on imports from Brazil—are also gone.
  (An aside: It was pretty funny that National Coffee Association CEO Bill Murray praised Trump for removing the Brazil tariffs, as if Trump wasn't entirely and solely to blame for implementing the tariffs in the first place.)
• After dealing with droughts throughout 2024, Vietnam's coffee-growing regions have now been hit by severe flooding, with some areas seeing 70 inches of rain in under a week. Vietnam has been battered by 13 major storms in 2025, and the most recent flooding has killed dozens, stranded thousands, and left millions without power.
• Rome's oldest cafe, opened in 1760 and a favourite haunt of pretty much every celebrity and historical figure of the past 200 years (seriously, the list on Wikipedia is very long) has closed after a multi-year battle over a rent hike. The whole thing began in 2017, when the building's owners raised the rent from $20,000 to $140,000 per month (!).

For more on all these stories, plus how Starbucks Workers United protestors blockaded the company's main east coast distribution centre, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

Coffee News Club: Week of November 24

See ya later Brazil tariffs! Plus, Rome’s oldest cafe closes after 265 years and unionized Starbucks workers block access to a key distribution center.

Fresh CupFionn Pooler

If you missed it, why not catch up on last week's story about the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama seeking to brand and trademark the term "Panama Geisha":

Panama’s Specialty Coffee Association Moves To Brand and Trademark ‘Panama Geisha’ as Auction Prices Soar

This year’s Best of Panama coffee auction was the most expensive ever, and was once again dominated by the gesha variety that put Panamanian coffee on the map. Now, the country’s coffee association is seeking to brand and trademark its most valuable asset.

The PouroverFionn Pooler

Paid subscribers will receive their bonus article this Friday, but until then it's goodbye from my friend Angela's cat Clem: