The world’s leading cocoa producer, Ivory Coast, is weighing retaliatory economic measures as the U.S. eyes steep tariffs on its exports. In response to proposed 21% tariffs the highest in West Africa. Agriculture Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani has warned that American consumers could soon face higher chocolate prices.
“If you tax our cocoa, we’ll increase its price. Ultimately, the end consumer bears the cost,” Adjoumani told reporters in Abidjan.
Though global markets dictate cocoa prices, Ivory Coast could hike export levies to offset the tariff blow, making its cocoa more expensive on arrival in U.S. ports.
While President Trump has paused the tariffs for 90 days, Ivory Coast is not sitting idle. The government is actively exploring closer trade ties with the European Union as a strategic hedge.
“If the U.S. shuts its doors, the EU will open theirs wider,” said Adjoumani, hinting at a potential pivot in export policy.
Ivory Coast ships between 200,000 and 300,000 metric tons of cocoa to the U.S. annually, according to the Coffee and Cocoa Council. A tariff standoff could ripple through global supply chains and disrupt pricing across the entire chocolate industry.
As the tariff clock ticks, stakeholders from growers to global confectioners are bracing for impact. One thing is clear: cocoa politics are heating up, and the consequences may soon be felt in the candy aisles.
