As a long-standing member of the U.S. specialty coffee community, I am writing this petition due to the alarming present state of our industry. The coffee market is already volatile and more expensive than ever. Now, with added tariffs imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR), the future of specialty coffee in the United States is seemingly obsolete and bleak. 

Unfortunately, our own Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) isn't supporting us when we need it the most. This lack of support from the same organization that should be advocating for our industry’s advancement and sustainability is not only disheartening but detrimental to the survival and prosperity of the specialty coffee sector in the United States. 

According to World Coffee Research, tariffs deplete the foreign exchange earnings in coffee-producing countries and increased prices can lead to a decrease in coffee consumption. A study carried out by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) indicates that a 10% increase in the tariff rate can decrease the demand for imported coffee by as much as 7.3% in the United States (World Coffee Research, 2019). 

We urge the SCA to proactively request that these detrimental tariffs are removed or at the very least, lowered. This not only benefits the United States specialty coffee retailers and consumers, but also the coffee farmers worldwide who are already navigating through a highly volatile market. 

Only by eliminating these tariffs can we hope to restore the specialty coffee market to its initial potential and ensure its sustainable future. This is a cause that cannot be ignored. To protect the future of specialty coffee in The United States, I ask you to sign this petition and urge the SCA to take immediate action.