Sen Blumenthal just said "coffee and bananas". The US is

[applegrove]

Last edited Thu Apr 3, 2025, 05:58 PM - Edit history (2)

putting tariffs on coffee and bananas. They are things that the US will never produce and all it does is raise prices on Americans who consume those products.

* been informed the US grows both coffee and bananas but only for local consumption and prices will go up as American do import both (see below).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/03/trump-tariffs-banana-coffee-toilet-paper-prices-could-rise.html

[biophile]

1. I never thought this would be how we are all going to

Finally eat locally. 😏

[central scrutinizer]

3. Yes, back to seasonal produce

I don’t need fresh peaches grown somewhere in the southern hemisphere in January.

[angryxyouth]

23. Did you watch the video on bees

80% bee loss. No bees no local produce

[StarryNite]

25. It's frightening.

[erodriguez]

28. Coffee is grown in Puerto Rico

[awesomerwb1]

32. And Hawaii

Coffee produced in PR and HI = 1-2% of the coffee supply to the US. So like almost nothing

[Voltaire2]

2. There are many such categories.

Also we really do not want to bring back low tech manufacturing that requires low wage unskilled workers. That is an utterly idiotic strategy. However, it does follow with defunding education, so sure lets do sweatshops.

Meanwhile developed countries with sane governments are investing in education, in modern sustainable infrastructure, in high tech high skill manufacturing. We are headed for the gutter.

[Bettie]

4. Coffee is going to be an issue

we all love coffee in our house.

[applegrove]

5. Like coffee wasn't already pricey.

[Irish_Dem]

6. I drink tea in the morning. Grown overseas.

British Breakfast tea grown in Asia.

[Mme. Defarge]

22. Coffee is medicine.

[msongs]

7. coffee is grown in hawaii if u want domestic brew nt

[applegrove]

8. Right you are.

[obamanut2012]

9. They don't grow much of it and never will

[CTyankee]

10. why not?

[Jerry2144]

11. Usable land for agriculture

They’re islands. Gotta make room for people, maybe plants, volcanoes

[CTyankee]

13. Oh, dear, I must have confused you.

I meant of the land they use for planting now. Perhaps the answer is that there is not enough land available.

[NutmegYankee]

16. No where near enough for domestic needs.

Arabica coffee is normally only grown between 2000-6000 feet in elevation, so much of the islands are unsuitable. The plant needs a niche climate, and we don’t have enough land in that niche in the USA.

[CTyankee]

17. Thank you. That is good to know!

I did not know that fact about Arabica coffee.

[NutmegYankee]

20. It originated from the mountains of Ethiopia.

We associate it with South America simply because the tropical Andes Mountains provide a lot of terrain suitable for large scale farming. Colombia for instance is a very high altitude country.

[obamanut2012]

15. Because they can't

For the same reason CT can't grow a huge amount of wheat.

[ybbor]

12. Bananas, too

Can’t eat any on the mainland after living there and eating them grown in my yard. Not even close to the same. Plus the varieties!

[awesomerwb1]

33. Coffee produced in PR and HI equals about 1-2% of the coffee supply to the US. So like almost nothing

[Voltaire2]

34. well it could double to perhaps 3-4%, probably substandard coffee though.

But unless there are domestic price controls, the domestic prices in a trade war tend to rise to just a small amount below the tariff price.

Now do wheat farmers, if any are left after this. They will be a target for retaliatory tariffs. Agriculture in general is highly vulnerable.

[jmowreader]

14. Hawaii grows both

Given that, Hawaii can't produce enough of either to meet demand. In 2019, Hawaii grew about 4 million pounds of bananas. In 2023 the US imported over 6 billion pounds of bananas.

[MissLilyBart]

18. Both can be (and are) grown in the US

Puerto Rico and Hawaii are both coffee producers.

Both also grow bananas, as do some southern states.

Doesn't make this lunatic trade war tariff nonsense any less crazy or more valid, but to say we will 'never produce' those things is simply incorrect (as I sip my afternoon cup of Puerto Rican coffee).

[applegrove]

29. I'll adjust my OP. Both are not grown for export, only for domestic

consumption in the US.

[GiqueCee]

19. "If you're listening, Russia..."

... Remember Trump saying the quiet part out loud during his 2016 campaign? He knew damned well they WERE listening, because he's been a Russian asset for 30 years. He is the REAL Manchurian Candidate.
And still is, though no one seems to have the cojones to call him out on it. The dots are big and bold and easy to connect. So, say it with me:

TRUMP IS A TRAITOR AND EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND DOES IS AT THE BEHEST, AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF, VLADIMIR PUTIN!

Once more, with feeling and four-part harmony.

[et tu]

24. hold on

let me get my juice harp!

[LoisB]

21. I can live without bananas but coffee, no way.

[ReRe]

27. Me? Never drunk coffee, but bananas? That's going to kill me to be without bananas!!!! :-(

[LoisB]

31. One way or the other, all we regular folks will be hurt.

[underpants]

26. Penguins too

[bucolic_frolic]

30. Retailers already have problems with spoilage and costs from bananas

This will only make it worse. Bananas are a loss leader in their attempts to move them before they spoil.

[Torchlight]

35. JJ SMuckers (parent company of Folgers coffee, my preferred brand) announced

yesterday it would begin/continue raising prices on coffee to offset its own higher costs; not just from tariffs, but also adverse weather conditions, and domestic supply chain disruptions.

Typical domestic coffee will increase 10% (my guess) and the imports by up to a third.