Coffee roasters in the Puget Sound area are preparing for rising costs following new tariffs on coffee imports. Many local coffee businesses, including those in Seattle—a city renowned for its coffee culture—are concerned about the impact of the tariff increases, particularly on beans imported from Latin America.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 80% of coffee beans imported into the U.S. come from Latin American countries, with Brazil and Colombia being significant suppliers. Both countries are now facing a 10% tariff hike, which is likely to drive up prices for local coffee roasters.
In response, some roasters are exploring alternative bean sources. A Tacoma coffee shop owner is even considering Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories to find more affordable options. However, the owner warned that if tariffs continue to rise, they may have no choice but to pass the higher costs onto consumers. While corner cafés may not experience the same impact as grocery store customers, price hikes could still affect local coffee drinkers.
Gabrielle Clune, a Seattle resident, expressed concern about the rising costs: “It’s very expensive already. I mean, like seven dollars for a cup. If the prices go up even more, I might just start getting my coffee from the office instead of the shop downstairs.”
In Quincy, The Pour Haus is also feeling the strain of the new tariffs. The owners, who source their coffee beans from Colombia and Guatemala, as well as liquor from Germany and Canada and syrup from France, are preparing for a potential increase in costs. However, they remain hopeful about keeping prices stable for their customers.
Jarid Jones, co-owner of The Pour Haus, said, “Our hope is to continue to maintain prices as they stand and we hope that if something does need to change, that customers will be responsive to that and understand what that looks like because again, it’s not something that we can control and it will be something that is even outside of our business and other businesses, and so we hope that customers will continue to support the local businesses.”
Under the proposed tariffs, import duties could rise up to 45% for coffee from Mexico and 10 to 15% for beans from Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala. Jones noted that his business is already feeling the effects, particularly with the rising costs of coffee and liquor used in their popular espresso martinis.
“Certainly, imports are going to change what that cost looks like. We have noticed it already and our specialty is the espresso martinis, and that’s one of our biggest cocktail hour drinks. There are two combinations there, one for the liquor which has increased and then the combination of what we see for our beans as well,” Jones said.
As tariffs continue to affect local businesses, both coffee roasters and drink shops like The Pour Haus are facing an uncertain future, with both business owners and consumers awaiting the full impact of these price changes.
