Behind the Tariff Rollback: Public Expectations and Strategic Calculus in America’s New Coffee Trade Policy
As U.S. consumers face rising coffee prices, the Trump administration has made a major adjustment to its trade policy. On November 13, the White House published four separate statements announcing new framework agreements with Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, and El Salvador. These agreements introduce tariff reductions on key agricultural products—including coffee—in an effort to ease the pressure of escalating coffee prices by further opening the market. This policy shift, described by many observers as a “targeted trade adjustment,” reflects not only consumer-driven demand—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data has shown a notable rise in coffee prices—but also complex geopolitical calculations and domestic political considerations. **01 A Mosaic of Differentiated Tariffs: Balancing Interests in Latin American Coffee Trade** The new tariff arrangement features a clearly layered approach. Across Latin America, the U.S. and the four partner nations created a hybrid structure buil...