U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) on Sept. 19 cosponsored a bipartisan bill that would repeal the Trump Administration’s tariffs on coffee and bring them back to the 0 percent level they were the day before he took office in January.
“Families across America are feeling the cost of higher coffee prices, which are already up 21 percent, and tariffing a product we can’t grow at a large, commercial scale, only makes it worse,” Rep. Bacon said. “Tariffs are simply a tax on American consumers, raising the price of everyday goods without creating jobs or bringing production on-shore.”
The No Coffee Tax Act, H.R. 5516, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), would prohibit the imposition of additional tariffs on coffee imported from countries to which the United States has extended normal trade relations, according to the text of the bill.
“Article One of the Constitution makes clear that Congress has the authority to set tariffs, and this legislation begins to reclaim that authority,” added Rep. Bacon. “I look forward to working with Rep. Khanna on this bipartisan bill and believe it can help spark the broader debate about Congress reclaiming its constitutional role in tariff policy.”
According to information provided by the congressman’s office, Brazil is the top source for U.S.-imported coffee and has faced a 50-percent tariff under Trump’s tariff policy, contributing to a surge in prices.
U.S. retail coffee prices increased by nearly 21 percent last month compared to the same month last year, partly due to the tariffs, the information says.
“Americans started a revolution over a tax on tea. U.S. coffee prices have increased significantly in the last year, in part due to Trump’s tariffs,” Rep. Khanna said. “If you drink coffee every morning, how can you not be mad about that? Our bipartisan bill is simple: it removes Trump’s tariffs on coffee to bring down costs.”