Real Tariff Tea: Why Your Favorite Beverage Brand Might Vanish – culturebanx

By CultureBanx Team

Tea, coffee, and herbal drinks from Africa and the Caribbean face new import costs

 Currently Nigeria exports 85% of its Hibiscus to international buyers

There’s a quiet revolution brewing in your cup. Beverage startups are finding traction by blending diaspora ingredients with wellness trends, but tariffs on imports from Africa and the Caribbean could derail the movement.

Why This Matters: Brands like Brooklyn Tea or source ingredients like hibiscus, moringa, or lemongrass from places like Jamaica and Nigeria. As tariffs rise, they’re forced to choose between increasing prices or reducing quality, both potentially brand-killing decisions. Currently, Nigeria exports 85% of its Hibiscus to international buyers.

Brands don’t just sell drinks, they sell identity, tradition, and wellness. Tariffs on these imported goods send a signal that culturally rooted products are luxury items, rather than everyday essentials. These tariffs may choke the growth of Black-owned wellness and beverage startups.

With wellness becoming a $1.5 trillion industry globally, according to McKinsey & Co, Black entrepreneurs should have a front seat at the table. Instead, they’re being told to pay extra just to bring their heritage to market.

What’s Next: Many fast-growing Black-owned beverage brands rely on imported ingredients. It’s possible these new tariffs could flatten a promising sector that blends culture, wellness, and entrepreneurship, or it could if rescinded success could spill over.

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