50% U.S. Tariff Threatens Brazilian Coffee and Orange Juice Exports

The import tariff increase announced by the United States government on products from Brazil is expected to directly impact two key agribusiness chains critical to Brazilian foreign trade: coffee and orange juice. The measure, which raises the import duty to 50%, was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump this Wednesday (9).

Marcos Matos, Executive Director of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé), stated that the 50% tariff announced by Trump will ultimately burden U.S. coffee consumers, as Brazil is the country’s main coffee supplier. He added that the council is closely monitoring the U.S. tariff developments, as the U.S. is the world’s largest coffee consumer, while Brazil is the top producer and exporter.

Below is a historical overview of coffee beans exports. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data:

Coffee Beans Exports | Jan 2022 – May 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Matos also said that exporters are hopeful that “common sense and market predictability” will prevail as they continue to work on a “positive agenda” with partners in the U.S.

The sector has been advocating for coffee to be included in a U.S. tariff exemption list, especially since Brazilian products had already been subject to a 10% basic tariff. In 2024, Brazil’s coffee exports to the U.S. totaled USD 2 billion (BRL 11.1 billion at the current exchange rate).

The orange juice industry is also expected to feel the impact of the new tariff policy. Ibiapaba Netto, Executive Director of CitrusBR, described the decision as “terrible for the orange juice export sector.” According to Netto, the announcement came as a surprise, and the sector will assess the full impact of the measure.

“We understand that this move affects not only Brazil but also the entire U.S. juice industry, which employs thousands of people and has relied on Brazil as its main foreign supplier for decades,” he said. Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of orange juice.

Source: Forbes Brasil

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