American coffee growers: Tariffs may not save domestic industry

On July 9, President Trump of the United States announced in a letter that tariffs of 50% will be imposed on Brazilian products starting from August 1. Some American public opinion believes that the tariffs will help support the development of the domestic coffee industry in the United States. However, many American coffee growers point out that even if they expand production on a large scale, due to factors such as natural environment and cost, American coffee cannot compete with that from countries like Brazil, and tariffs cannot help the American domestic coffee industry. For a long time, the domestic coffee bean production in the United States accounts for only about 1% of its consumption, and the American coffee industry heavily relies on imported coffee beans. According to a report from the American Consumer News and Business Channel, the price of coffee in the United States rose by 14.5% year-on-year in July due to the tariffs, forcing many American coffee shops to make difficult choices: either bear the pressure of rising costs, pass it on to customers, or compromise on the quality of coffee.