New record price set for Ethiopian coffee.

Ethiopian coffee producer and founder of Testi specialty coffee, Faysel Abdosh set a record historic price for an Ethiopian - Sidama Keramo Super Natural at auction on July 17 for $727.60 per pound ($1604 per kilo). It is the highest price ever recorded for an Ethiopian coffee. Proceeds will support Project Direct, a nonprofit initiative that educates smallholder farming communities and builds health care facilities and schools.

State of US Tariffs on Coffee

New fees/tariff’s between 10% and 46% were posted on imports from 15 of the world’s top 20 coffee producing countries at the onset of “Liberation Day” beginning April 2025.

A majority of the coffee consumed daily in the U.S. is produced outside of the United States, Hawaii and California produce less than 1/10th of 1% of the world’s coffee.

Every dollar of coffee related imports into the US generates approximately $43 in value for the US economy. Domestically the coffee industry supports approx. 2.2 million jobs in the US.

Graph & data from: U.S. Government data & World Coffee News

Bipartisan U.S. Congressional Coffee Caucus launched in April 2025

U.S. House of Representatives Jill Tokuda-Hawaii and William Timmons-South Carolina launched the Congrssional Coffee Caucus on April 8 to bring attention and support to the U.S. coffee industry.

Coffee is grown on a commercial scale in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and California contributing less than 1% of the global coffee market, however, the coffee industry as a whole contributes over $343 Billion of U.S. economic activity and employs over 2.2 million Americans.

Hawaii has grown coffee for over 200 years, well before it entered into U.S. statehood. It produces over 16.5 million pounds of coffee anually on over 800 farms contributing over $102 Million and is considered it’s second largest crop next to seed corn. Kona coffee can be harvested every month of the year, but the main harvest time is typically August thru December. Coffee is grown on five of Hawaii’s eight islands: : Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Molokai.

Puerto Rico has over 2983 coffee farms producing over 3 million pounds of green coffee annually and employing over 4000 farmers. Puerto Rico grows primarily Arabica coffee, more specifically Bourbon, Typica, & Pacamara varietals which are harvested in September and October each year.

World coffee costs 2025

Over the past year, the price of green coffee - unroasted coffee beans has surged. The last quarter of 2024, prices hit a 47-year high and they have since climbed another 20%. The coffee industry operates on a global pricing system, often referred to as the C Market, which determines the cost of most of the world’s coffee. The C Market has risen for several reasons.

*Dynamics of supply and demand.

*Two of the worlds largest coffee producers Brazil and Vietnam had reduced harvests due to low production yields & poor harvests resulting in reduction of global supply with more buyers purchasing from other countries with less yield looking for available inventory creating a worldwide shortage.

*Market speculators have capitalized on the volatility, further exacerbating price fluctuations.

*Other costs increases:

• Packaging: Biotré packaging & high-quality packaging materials have increased significantly.

• Shipping: Import costs fluctuate with fuel prices & global trade conditions.

• Supply chain issues: Disruptions in the supply chain in the Red Sea are impacting availability and transportation shipping costs in African coffee-primarily Ethiopian origined coffee.

• Labor & Tariffs: Economic shifts, inflation, currency fluctuations (coffee producing countries), and tariff regulations are impacting the cost of bringing coffee to the shelf and shop.