In fact, over the past few months, U.S. coffee prices have doubled. This sudden spike has left both consumers and suppliers scrambling, resulting in dramatic impact and joint uncertainty. By March 2025, ground coffee had jumped to an all-time high of more than $6.22 per dozen. That was up more than a dollar from last year. Coffee prices have jumped in tandem, fueled by increasing tariffs and global supply chain breakdowns. These challenges are permanently altering how Americans approach their morning cup of joe.
Americans spend about $100 billion each year on coffee, making it the nation’s most popular beverage. The U.S. is the world’s second-largest coffee importing country, bringing in most of our beans from Brazil and Columbia. The USDA already monitors these imports very closely, which have recently been subjected to tariff policies that decimated but did not stop their import.
Since the imposition of a 10% tariff on coffee imports from the majority of countries on April 5, 2025, this coffee price crisis has been intensified. Soaring bean prices have skyrocketed since President Trump came into office. This, along with this new tariff, has resulted in an average price increase of at least 50 cents a cup of coffee across many retail locations. Local suppliers and roasters are getting knocked out as they try to keep their businesses afloat under these financial pressures.
As far as the exploding supply costs hurting everyone, local coffee supplier Jorge Prudencio said he’s worried that the cost will increase across the board. “Everyone’s suffering from the same thing. We all foot the bill,” he continued. His next order will, he says, be at higher prices with suppliers starting to recalibrate to the new market realities.
The cost of a cup of joe has undergone a shocking increase in recent years. In March 2025, it was still noted to be $3 over prices in March of 2020. This surge has forced millions of consumers to rethink their coffee consumption and budgets.
As the owner of Qualia Coffee Roasters, small business advocate Jenny Ngo underscored the plight of small businesses in this tough climate. Without this, we are forced to sadly plan to raise costs further to continue operating,” she said. Her business, which sells their coffee beans through the web and at farmers’ markets, is the first place where consumers started feeling the pinch of inflation.
The predicament gets worse for businesses like Telescope Coffee, which imports their iced coffee cups from China. Since then, the tariffs have caused a tsunamic ripple effect of collateral damages across the entire supply chain. That’s driven up prices not just for coffee beans, but the equipment and supplies required to serve other beverages.
Given recent price spikes and continuing supply chain disruptions, millions of Americans could soon be brewing a little less java. The changes made by these proposals will be felt by consumers in every aspect of their daily lives. They will decide to buy less or look for other products.