NAMPA, Idaho — The cost of your cup of joe could be getting a little bit more expensive. A Nampa roaster is putting together a think tank of other business owners about the supply chain and how they’re hoping to be more efficient.
And it’s not going to be just individual cups. We buy unground coffee by the bag. I grind it at home and make lattes every morning for my wife with our espresso machine. So am even I am going to be seeing this in the bags I buy?
“That’s correct. And it’s happening as we speak. And it’s going to be happening in the near future too,” Stewart confirms.
Treasure Valley coffee roasters, like Ryan Stewart, are keeping a close eye on presidential executive orders and how new tariffs could impact their bottom line.
On Friday, Stewart is organizing a think tank of fellow business owners representing all stages of the supply chain to talk about ways to improve efficiencies.
“A couple of the goals that we’re aiming for," Stewart explains, "Internally, tomorrow is really that relationship part and to see how can we maybe save on some freight, or is there an opportunity where we can get together and work together to bring?”
As efficient as their roasting process is, from bag to air oven to cooling tray, the brainstorming session hopes to help every step of the way from farm to coffee pot.
“Bringing coffee straight from origin, which definitely helps the farmer on that end, that maybe we can get a little bit more profit for them. But to possibly bring coffee all the way in from origin, and then divide it up amongst many of the roasters in Idaho,” Stewart says.
Idaho News 6 previously reported how aluminum tariffs may impact prices for local breweries during their canning process. Those Canadian tariffs could also bring heavy impacts on local coffee roasters.
While many unroasted beans brought into the Nampa roastery originate from Latin America, Stewart explains some beans first go through our northern neighbors where beans are decaffeinated.
“But when it comes back into America, it’s getting...”
“It’s considered Canadian,” I interject.
“That’s right," Stewart laughs, "At that point, it’s considered Canadian. But it’s really just getting hit with those Canadian tariffs.”
I asked about importing from within the country, like Hawaii.
“Unfortunately, you know, a straight Hawaiian coffee is just off-the-chart expensive,” Stewart says.
Tariffs are just the latest hurdle for roasters, with global climate and geography already impacting supply.
“Really, the big influencers of the coffee market are Brazil and Vietnam," Stewart adds, "And right now, Brazil, with the drought that they’ve had, they’re at a record low production. And that’s really pushing the coffee market up.”
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