U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of (R-NE) faces reporters as he arrives for a House Republican conference meeting to choose a nominee in the race for House Speaker at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) joins fellow Democrats as they hold a press conference about border negotiations as the deadline to avoid partial government shutdown looms at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2024. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. Representatives Don Bacon and Ro Khanna will introduce bipartisan legislation that would exempt coffee products from any tariffs, spokespeople for the lawmakers told Reuters on Friday.

Brazil used to supply a third of all the coffee used in the U.S., but shipments dried up since a 50% tariff was imposed on Brazilian imports at the end of July.

"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," Republican lawmaker Bacon said.

Roasted coffee prices at grocery stores in the U.S. rose 20.9% in August from a year ago, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

"I look forward to working with Rep. Khanna to introduce this bipartisan bill and believe it can help spark the broader debate about Congress reclaiming its constitutional role in tariff policy," Bacon, one of the few Republican voices in Congress who has taken positions independent of President Donald Trump, added.

Prices for arabica coffee, the mild variety mostly used by coffee chains such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, have jumped around 50% at the Intercontinental Exchange in New York since the Trump administration imposed its tariff on Brazilian imports, including green coffee.

"If you drink coffee every morning, how can you not be mad about that?” Khanna, who is a Democrat, told Reuters, referring to the price rise.

The bill seeks to exempt coffee from any tariffs imposed after Jan. 19, 2025, including roasted and decaffeinated coffee, as well as coffee husks, skins, and coffee substitutes containing coffee in any proportion.

A spokesperson for Khanna told Reuters the legislation would be introduced Friday.

The Washington Post first reported the introduction of the bill.

(Reporting by Anusha Shah, Preetika Parashuraman, Abu Sultan, Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru and Kanjyik Ghosh in Barcelona; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Elaine Hardcastle)