The coffee industry is breathing a sigh of relief after the White House announced Sunday evening that it would pause impending tariffs on Colombia, but the uncertainty has put many on edge.

Nearly 5 million pounds of unroasted, green coffee are warehoused at the Costa Oro distribution center in Portland, Ore. on October 27, 2023.
Stephani Gordon / OPB
Coffee prices are already at an all-time high, with the price of specialty Arabica beans increasing more than 80% in 2024 after extended drought impacted crops in Brazil and Vietnam, the world’s two largest coffee producers. Colombia is the third largest coffee producer in the world, making up more than 20% of U.S. coffee imports between 2023-24, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
When President Donald Trump announced a 25% emergency tariff on Colombian goods, it caused concern for some local coffee shops and roasters.
“When I saw that, I immediately started doing some budgeting,” said Josh White, owner of the non-profit Heretic Coffee Co. in Southeast Portland. About half of the coffee sold at Heretic is sourced from Colombia. “If a 25% tariff goes through, I can’t afford this coffee,” he said.
White explained that even if he could cover the tariffs up front, they would eventually have to pass that expense on to the customers, “The prices would have to raise significantly just to make sure we didn’t go into a financial deficit.”
Trump threatened tariffs Sunday morning as a retaliatory measure after Colombia refused to accept two military flights carrying deportees from the US. Since taking office last week, Trump has declared “illegal immigration a national emergency” and has started sending flights of migrants to Guatemala, Mexico and Colombia.
Hours after the tariffs were announced, Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said the country’s government had “overcome the impasse with the U.S. government” and agreed to accept those returning as deportees.