Portland, Oregon, one of the country's coffee capitals, is facing a brewing crisis. The city's specialty coffee shops and small roasters are still feeling the pinch from tariffs imposed on coffee imports by the US government.
"We're already paying $28.50 for a bag of coffee," said Laila Ghambari, owner of Guilder Coffee Company. "It's a lot of money for just one type of bean." The 2022 tariff on coffee imports may have been lifted last month, but it still affects Ghambari's business as any coffee already imported is subject to the tax.
The average retail price of ground coffee hit record highs in September, with prices reaching $9.14 per pound, up from around $4 a year ago. This surge in prices is largely due to demand for premium beans and climate issues that have affected coffee crops. However, independent coffee shops like Ghambari's are still feeling the strain.
"Any coffee that's already landed in the US is still subject to the tariff," Ghambari explained.
Not everyone feels the impact of tariffs equally, however. Christopher Hendon, a professor at the University of Oregon who studies the global coffee industry, says that consumers don't feel the pain as much as small business owners like Ghambari and her peers do.
"The consumer might not care today because the price didn't change all that much," he said, "but you might care if your local café disappears."
The impact on Ghambari's business was severe. She had to lay off two full-time employees and now only has one part-time employee left. Despite this, she remains optimistic about the future.
"It won't be until February when the first import of tariff-free coffees will land in my warehouse," she said.
For Wicker, who delivers coffee beans to cafes, lifting the tariffs could be a breath of fresh air.
"It's the coffee break I need," he said.
"We're already paying $28.50 for a bag of coffee," said Laila Ghambari, owner of Guilder Coffee Company. "It's a lot of money for just one type of bean." The 2022 tariff on coffee imports may have been lifted last month, but it still affects Ghambari's business as any coffee already imported is subject to the tax.
The average retail price of ground coffee hit record highs in September, with prices reaching $9.14 per pound, up from around $4 a year ago. This surge in prices is largely due to demand for premium beans and climate issues that have affected coffee crops. However, independent coffee shops like Ghambari's are still feeling the strain.
"Any coffee that's already landed in the US is still subject to the tariff," Ghambari explained.
Not everyone feels the impact of tariffs equally, however. Christopher Hendon, a professor at the University of Oregon who studies the global coffee industry, says that consumers don't feel the pain as much as small business owners like Ghambari and her peers do.
"The consumer might not care today because the price didn't change all that much," he said, "but you might care if your local café disappears."
The impact on Ghambari's business was severe. She had to lay off two full-time employees and now only has one part-time employee left. Despite this, she remains optimistic about the future.
"It won't be until February when the first import of tariff-free coffees will land in my warehouse," she said.
For Wicker, who delivers coffee beans to cafes, lifting the tariffs could be a breath of fresh air.
"It's the coffee break I need," he said.
if u haven't already tried that new cold brew from @starbucks you're missing out!!! anyway back to this coffee crisis in portland, like what's up with those tariffs tho? $28.50 for a bag of coffee is insane! 
as a fan of iced lattes i'm totally feeling the impact on my wallet 
can u imagine if they lifted those tariffs already? i know i would be dancing in the streets 
. It's like, we're already paying an arm and a leg for our morning joe, and now we gotta deal with the added stress of knowing that some poor soul in Portland is losing their job because of it? No thanks, man 
.
. It's not like the big corporations aren't making enough profit already - they can afford to absorb a little price hike 
so like what's up with these US gov tarrifs on coffee? $28.50 for a bag of coffee is crazy 
. And it's not like consumers are even noticing the difference in price... yet 
. I'm hoping this tariff-free coffee import thing will help, but I'll believe it when I see it 
I feel bad for Ghambari and all the other small business owners out there. $28.50 for a bag of coffee is crazy! 
And I don't blame Wicker, who delivers coffee beans, they gotta keep their cool too 
. But at the same time, I get what Hendon is saying, maybe consumers aren't feeling it as much... yet. 
️
the prices are already super high, and now theres tariffs on top of it all? its just not fair to them 
they work so hard to bring us amazing coffee, and this is the thanks we give 'em? 
. It's crazy to think that the average retail price of ground coffee hit record highs in September! 
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. But what's really sad is that some small businesses might disappear due to the struggles 
!
The prices of ground coffee have reached record highs too - $9.14 per pound? That's like buying a super expensive car 
. Some coffee shops are still optimistic about the future, like Laila Ghambari from Guilder Coffee Company 
. For small business owners like Ghambari, this is a huge relief 
. And for coffee bean delivery guys like Wicker, it's like getting the coffee break they needed 
. Fingers crossed that things get back to normal soon! 
. its just a shame small biz owners like laila r feelin the pinch so hard 
maybe wicker delivering those beans will be a nice morale boost too 
. These small businesses are already struggling to stay afloat, and now they have to deal with even higher prices due to the 2022 tariff 
. But at least there's some silver lining... the first import of tariff-free coffees could arrive in February, which should be a big relief for everyone involved 
that's like buying a decent laptop lol. anyone else feeling the pinch? 
prices are crazy high right now! 
.
. But for small businesses like Ghambari's, it's all about the bottom line 
- lifting the tariffs in February should bring some much-needed relief to independent coffee shops like hers 
, from suppliers like Wicker to cafes that rely on them for their day-to-day operations 
.
. Fingers crossed for February when tariff-free coffees start rolling in 
and it's like, you'd think that the tariffs would affect consumers more... but maybe they just don't know what's going on? 