TARIFFS News Letter by National Coffee Association.

 "Liberation Day" Updates

April 2, 2025

President Donald Trump announced today (Wednesday) that he will impose a 10% tariff on all imports from all countries around the world (entering into effect at 12:01 am ET on April 5) and additional, individualized tariffs on many other countries his administration believes have the most unfair trade relationships with the United States (entering into effect at 12:01 am ET on April 9). He indicated he expects countries to want to negotiate and that the United States will remove tariffs if each country removes its own.

Some further details are available in the text of the Executive Order (EO) linked here, which also specifies that the tariffs are invoked under authorities including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA). A full list of the rates and countries is here.

Tariffs on coffee-growing and exporting countries include: 46% tariff on Vietnam, 32% on Indonesia, 31% on Switzerland, 20% on the European Union, 18% on Nicaragua, and the baseline 10% on other coffee-growing countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Peru.

Mexico and Canada were not addressed in the speech and are not included in the list. According to the EO text, they apparently retain the 25% tariffs previously implemented under emergency national security authorities, from which “USMCA-compliant” trade is currently exempt. This is yet to be confirmed by the White House.

For the 10% tariffs, for goods loaded on a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 am ET on April 5 and entered for consumption after 12:01 am ET on April 5 shall not be subject to the additional 10% duty.

The country-specific reciprocal tariffs shall not apply to goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 am ET on April 9 and entered after 12:01 am ET on April 9.

However, we believe that the 10% duty will still be due for goods loaded between April 5 and April 9.

The EO provides exemptions for certain products already subject to Section 232 tariffs (e.g., aluminum and tinplate steel), as well as “copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, and energy and energy products.”

Regarding exemptions, the NCA submitted a comment to the U.S. Trade Representative last month requesting that coffee be exempted from tariffs given its significant positive contributions to the United States. As we have advised in prior Member Alerts, the NCA continues to engage administration and Congressional leaders with regard to the negative impact of such tariffs on American coffee drinkers and the U.S. economy.

NCA: We Serve Coffee

William "Bill" Murray

President & CEO

National Coffee Association of USA, Inc.