HOUSTON — If your morning coffee is starting to feel more expensive, you’re not imagining it. A steep new U.S. tariff on Brazil — the world’s largest coffee exporter — is poised to make your daily caffeine fix cost even more.

President Donald Trump recently announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, the highest against any nation. The move isn’t over trade disputes, but rather to show support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, now facing trial for allegedly masterminding a 2022 coup attempt to stay in power in the Latin American country.

Michigan State University food economist David Ortega calls the tariff a “gut punch” to the coffee industry at the worst possible time, predicting higher prices for consumers in the near future.

Coffee shops already feeling the heat

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