The worth of a cup of espresso in Canada is predicted to rise because the world continues to really feel the results of U.S President Donald Trump’s tariffs, in response to business specialists and cafés.
Trump had threatened extraordinarily steep tariffs on coffee-producing international locations like Vietnam, Indonesia and India earlier this month — earlier than saying he would pause those tariff rates and impose a ten per cent baseline fee for all imported items.
Whereas these charges can be paid by U.S. importers, many Canadian espresso roasters and types supply their product from U.S. wholesalers and warehouses.
Consultants say this implies the value of espresso in Canada, which has been on the rise for years, will go up additional as Canadian espresso manufacturers need to pay the elevated prices, in addition to counter-tariffs on U.S. items that they import.
“It is undoubtedly going to be a shock, I believe, for Canadian espresso roasters, Canadian importers, companies that promote espresso in Canada,” stated Stuart McCook, a historical past professor on the College of Guelph.
“It marks an actual shift from a historic relationship, the place the Canadian and American espresso commerce had been very tightly built-in and items tended to move with a number of to no tariffs.”
The professor stated it is onerous to know precisely how a lot customers will find yourself paying as tariffs take maintain.
Robert Carter, the Espresso Affiliation of Canada (CAC) president, stated the spectre of tariffs provides to the truth that uncooked inexperienced espresso bean costs are already on the highest ranges in years.
Statistics Canada information exhibits that the value of espresso in B.C. went up 15 per cent from 2024 to 2025 alone, a bounce of a greenback for a bag of espresso.
“The expectation is that we’ll proceed to see elevated costs for a while,” Carter stated. “There are another parts similar to local weather change which might be actually affecting crop harvests and whatnot.
“It may be a troublesome interval for espresso … for the foreseeable future general after which the tariffs, clearly, simply including just a little little bit of gas to that fireside.”
The CAC estimates that 74 per cent of Canadians drink a cup of joe every day. And the nation imported greater than 25 million kilograms of espresso in June 2024 alone, Statistics Canada stated.
Canada is a serious espresso importer and with U.S. tariffs brewing, the business expects costs to rise. As Sohrab Sandhu stories, you might quickly be paying extra to your cup of joe.
Name to purchase locally-roasted espresso
Along with the tariffs on coffee-producing international locations, Trump has imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian items that are not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Settlement (CUSMA) — and low is not included in that free commerce coverage.
Which means any Canadian corporations that purchase uncooked espresso beans, after which roast or course of them and wish to promote merchandise to the U.S., would face steep markups.
Carter stated that quantities to greater than $1 billion value of roasted espresso, and different merchandise, that might be considerably impacted by the 25 per cent U.S. tariffs.

Matt Johnson, who owns Vancouver’s Prototype Espresso, roasts his personal espresso and ships it throughout Canada and the U.S.
Whereas he stated his enterprise will not be considerably affected by the 25 per cent tariffs, the café proprietor stated bigger manufacturers are prone to be — they usually’ll even be unable to supply giant quantities of espresso for Canadians at scale with out going by means of the U.S.
“That is all of the extra purpose to steer individuals in to the course of espresso companies which might be fascinated by these direct connections with the farmers, and will not be going by means of the U.S. markets,” he stated. “I believe that these costs are going to be extra secure.”

Laura Perry, who operates the Luna Espresso roastery simply exterior Vancouver, acknowledged that some smaller roasters are additionally going to be impacted, because the Canadian specialty espresso importing sector remains to be fairly small.
“I do not anticipate that we’ll begin seeing these tariffs, if relevant to us, tacked on to our arrivals till like late June,” she stated of her personal enterprise.
Perry stated espresso has been considerably undervalued for many years in Canada — and the tariffs had been nearly as good a purpose as any to purchase espresso that’s sourced ethically.
“What these tariffs, on prime of every part else, has revealed to the world, I believe, is how interconnected we’re with each other, how a lot we depend on each other and likewise how issues ought to be valued,” she stated.

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