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**Summary:**
Baltimore coffee shops, particularly specialty roasters like Thread Coffee, are struggling to stay afloat due to soaring coffee prices. These price increases are driven by new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on coffee imports from major producers like Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The tariffs are impacting businesses that prioritize ethical sourcing and paying fair trade prices to farmers. Shops are now faced with difficult choices: raise prices and risk losing customers, compromise on quality, or potentially go out of business while maintaining their commitment to ethical practices. The situation has spurred debate about the effectiveness of the tariffs and calls for their repeal.
**News Article:**
**Baltimore Coffee Shops Face Crisis as Tariffs Send Prices Soaring**
**Baltimore, MD** – Local coffee shops are feeling the heat as new tariffs on imported coffee beans drive prices to unprecedented levels. The increased costs are forcing businesses to make tough decisions, threatening their ability to stay afloat and maintain their commitment to quality and ethical sourcing.
The crisis is especially acute for specialty roasters like Thread Coffee, which prioritizes paying farmers above fair trade prices for their beans. Owner Casey McKeel and Marketing Director Nani Ferreira-Mathews expressed fears for the future of their business model. “There’s not a day that goes by where I’m not scared of losing our customers because our sticker shock is so great,” said Ferreira-Mathews.
The price spike stems from tariffs imposed on major coffee-producing nations, including a quintupling of taxes on Brazilian imports that went into effect on Aug. 6. According to the Consumer Price Index, U.S. coffee prices were nearly 21% higher in August than a year earlier. While the Trump administration defends the tariffs as a way to encourage the purchase of American-made goods, coffee industry experts point out that most raw coffee beans are grown outside the U.S., with limited production in Hawaii and California.
“What’s frustrating about now is this is totally avoidable,” said Stan Constantine, president of Baltimore Coffee and Tea Co., whose family has been in the coffee business for generations. He noted that the cost of importing Brazilian beans has nearly doubled.
The price hikes are rippling through the entire supply chain. Ed Canty, a general manager for Cooperative Coffees, which supplies beans to Thread Coffee and other shops, said his organization has paid about $1 million in tariffs since June.
Some shops are experimenting with alternative beans, like Indonesian coffee, but that comes with its own challenges. “Some of our prices are being absorbed by our roasters,” said Shawn Chopra, owner of Good Neighbor, “But we’ve definitely had to account for price changes on all things.”
Ayda Abraham, owner of Adee’s Coffee Roasters, expressed concern about the rising cost of everything from beans to syrups and cups. For her business, which specializes in Ethiopian coffee, the situation is particularly dire.
While the Trump administration has signaled a potential tariff exemption for “aligned partners,” and lawmakers have introduced the “No Coffee Tax Act” to repeal the tariffs, the future remains uncertain. For many Baltimore coffee shops, the coming months will be a test of their resilience and their commitment to their values.
“I’d rather lose my business doing the right thing than save it doing the wrong thing,” Ferreira-Mathews said, capturing the sentiment of many in Baltimore’s coffee community.
First Piper 