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Looks like you're located outside the continental United States!
While we can't ship Royal NY Line Up boxes to you through our website, your coffee trader will be happy to help place your order and secure the best shipping rates for you.
Brazil is the largest producer of coffee globally. Its less premium-driven price point has long made it the mainstay coffee for dark roasts, as well as a blend component in house blends, espresso blends, and more. With a current 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and a volatile “C” market, many roasters need to reconsider their sourcing strategy to counter the rising costs. At Royal New York, we want to be a source of calm and provide options. Learn how tariffs are changing the outlook for Brazilian coffee, what it means for your lineup, and which origins can help you adapt without losing balance in your blends.
Brazil Tariff Impact on the Coffee Market
Brazil supplies about one-third of the coffee consumed in the United States. As of August 6, 2025, the U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on these imports. The cost is not absorbed by Brazil, but by U.S. importers, who pass it along at higher prices to roasters and, ultimately, the consumer. In turn, the tariff will reroute Brazilian beans to Europe and Asia, forcing U.S. importers to seek alternatives from Mexico, Central America, and Africa. We have seen traders, including us, rushing to bring in Brazilian shipments before the tariff deadline. However, future shipments will be substantially more expensive and will have to be replaced by non-Brazilian sources.
Coffee from Brazil is renowned for its full body, low acidity, and nutty, chocolatey flavors. It’s often used in espresso blends and is appreciated for its smoothness and sweetness. Given how unique these coffees are, it certainly isn’t easy to find suitable substitutes for them as there isn’t a perfect replacement. Even so, there are still options to consider.
Firstly, let’s look at Mexico. It’s currently the only non-U.S. origin that has a 0% tariff impact. Many Mexican coffees offer medium-to-full body with chocolate and nut-like flavors, paired with a low-to-medium acidity.
When constructing blend recipes, it’s common to swap components based on harvest and availability. The key is to follow the same approach and roast profile, making only minor adjustments as needed.
To test this, we asked our in-house roasting professional, Mike Romagnino, to conduct production roasts of one coffee from both Mexico and Brazil. With his 15+ years of wholesale roasting experience, he would be able to see how closely a Mexican coffee could match the flavor profile of a Brazilian offering.
Roast Approach & Performance
by Mike Romagnino
Brazilian coffees are often naturally processed, featuring notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, and walnut. By roasting a Mexican coffee the way you would a Brazil, you can achieve a comparable cup profile.
I roasted three production trial batches using our Diedrich IR-5. When roasting the Mexican coffee, I extended the development time and end temperature to highlight more chocolate and nut-like tones. A deeper development can mute the acidity in the cup and give you a similar flavor profile to the Brazil. The duration of the roast was 12:36 with 3:31 of development time and an end temperature of 417°F.
Evaluating the roasts on the cupping table, we found similarities between the flavor profiles of the Brazil and Mexico coffees. The roasts showed notes of chocolate, cocoa, almond, and walnut. The above curve is the one we preferred on the cupping table. Based on this experiment, using Mexico as a replacement for Brazil will work well for various roast levels. Achieving the desired flavor profile often requires some trial and error, so it’s important to cup or batch brew your roasts.
Whether you’re new to roasting or highly experienced, we all face the challenge of finding alternatives for coffees when seasonality, cost, or availability create limitations. If you’re looking to shift from Brazil to Mexico, or to another origin entirely, one practical method to try is gradually adjusting your blends. This will not only help you become accustomed to using Mexican coffee, but lower your costs immediately. Start by introducing Mexican coffee into the mix as your Brazil stock starts to run low, then slowly increase the percentage of the Mexican until it fully replaces the Brazil. This approach ensures a smooth transition in flavor and consistency.
Retail and Competitive Advantages for Mexican Coffee
Mexican coffee is becoming a highly competitive alternative. It offers unique flavor profiles, with generally milder, fruitier acidity compared to Brazilian coffees, at a now much lower landed cost. With the sharp price increase on Brazilian beans, Mexican coffee can fill gaps in blends, single-origin menus, and supermarket shelves while maintaining profit margins and price stability. Both commercial and specialty consumers will likely shift toward Mexico, making this a prime selling opportunity for roasters, wholesalers, and retailers.
Focusing on Mexican coffee will give suppliers and retailers a clear pricing, supply, and marketing advantage in the U.S. coffee market while the 50% tariff remains on Brazilian imports.
If you’re looking for other coffees that hold a richer chocolate note, medium-to-full body, and lower acidity profile, then check out the following offerings!
Tariffs on Brazilian coffee are changing the U.S. market, but they don’t have to disrupt your blends. Stay flexible, explore new origins, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your trader. We’ll work together to help your coffee adapt and even thrive during these market shifts.
