After months of pounding our heads against the wall, paying completely unnecessary “reciprocal” tariffs on cocoa, and watching policy whiplash wreck havoc on planning, we finally have an update that brings some real relief:
As of November 13, all cocoa entering the United States is exempt from the 10%+ tariffs introduced earlier this year.
Yes — you read that right. After a year of paying punitive import taxes for a product the U.S. does not (and cannot) grow in sufficient volumes, we now have a path back to predictable, non-inflated landed costs.
What Happened?
On November 14 the Administration announced that agricultural products with no meaningful U.S. production — including cocoa — will no longer be subject to the “reciprocal tariffs” launched in April.
These tariffs were unnecessarily costing even small importers like us hundreds of thousands of dollars, hurting smallholder farmers, squeezing small businesses, and adding uncertainty on top of what was already the most volatile two-year period in the cacao markets that any of us have lived through.
Cocoa was finally recognized for what it is – an essential imported agricultural product with zero domestic substitute.
What This Means for You
- All cocoa beans, nibs, liquor, butter, and powder entering the United States after November 13 are tariff-free.
- Pricing on U.S. spot inventory and in-store reservations remains unchanged. Tariffs were real costs that were paid, and we will continue to pass those along transparently.
- Containers currently on the water will benefit from the exemption when they land, there will be no tariff charged to customers.
- This will help stabilize pricing for 2026 inventory across origins.
- We don’t expect retroactive refunds at the moment.
What’s Next
The last seven months have been a masterclass in arbitrary trade policy. Today’s “exempt” can become tomorrow’s “reinstated.” Even if this specific tariff regime is softened or struck down, the government still has tools that could be used to reintroduce duties in the future. We are still cautious.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely. We are in touch with our suppliers and customs brokers to get the most up-to-date information possible. We are committed to communicating transparently with any updates you need.
If you want to talk through how this impacts your purchasing, forward contracts, or pricing strategy for 2026, please reach out. We hope this moment is a sigh of relief.
Wishing you a very chocolatey holiday season.
Thank you!
Mike Albertini, UC Director of Operations
