International Coffee Corp., the Metairie-based trading house owned by the Madary family, is one of the last bastions of wholesale coffee trading in New Orleans, a city that once thrived as a hub for shipping and trading the unroasted beans.

It is now navigating one of the most turbulent periods in its half-century history.

Wholesale Arabica coffee recently hit a record high above $4.40 a pound, more than four times the price before the pandemic, after President Donald Trump placed 50% tariffs on Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer. The uncertainty has scrambled International Coffee's market.

“We’ve never seen a market like this,” said Matt Madary, who has been in the business for 37 years and took over running the family firm more than a decade ago.

International Coffee has dee

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