The U.S. coffee habit, so reliant on foreign suppliers, may seem like the result of globalization. The rise of Starbucks maps onto this story, growing from 11 stores in 1987 to 38,000 worldwide last year, an undeniable symbol of U.S. commercial expansion. Within the United States, mentions of the word “latte”—possibly compounded in the form “latte-drinking liberals”—grew 15 times between 1990 and 2022. U.S. consumers now spend nearly $110 billion annually on coffee.

In the five-by-five-block neighborhood of Philadelphia where I live, there are at least six coffee shops. The average cost of a cup of black coffee across these cafés is currently $2.70. But with the recent back and forth of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, this price seems likely to increase. Coffee from Vietnam, which trails only Brazil in total production, will be subject to a 46 percent tariff. East African coffee , previously tariff-free, will still have the baseline 10 percent tariff charged. That cost will be compounded by the materials in the cups and machinery, much of which is manufactured outside of the United States.

In the five-by-five-block neighborhood of Philadelphia where I live, there are at least six coffee shops. The average cost of a cup of black coffee across these cafés is currently $2.70. But with the recent back and forth of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, this price seems likely to increase. Coffee from Vietnam, which trails only Brazil in total production, will be subject to a 46 percent tariff. East African coffee, previously tariff-free, will still have the baseline 10 percent tariff charged. That cost will be compounded by the materials in the cups and machinery, much of which is manufacture