Cafes and restaurants could push coffee prices to $6 or $7 a cup in 2026 just to break even as a mix of rising import prices, energy bills, and wages piles more pressure on a hospitality industry that saw record closures through 2025.

The cost of importing coffee beans from overseas has surged because of the weaker dollar, poor growing conditions, speculative trading and Donald Trump’s global trade war, according to Mike Brabant, the chief executive of Single O, one of Australia’s largest coffee importers, roasters and wholesale distributors to more than 300 cafes or wholesale partners.

“So, we think for a good cup of specialty coffee, prices need to hit $6 nationally across our base for a regular flat white or cappuccino,” Mr Brabant told The Nightly. “By 2026, you might pay $6.50 to $7

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