Why Trump's tariffs could be a disaster for Brazil's acai industry and American consumers

Sat, Aug 9, 2025, 12:02 AM 4 min read

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 50% on Brazilian exports in July, acai producer Ailson Ferreira Moreira felt immediately concerned.

After all, who was going to eat all of that Amazon berry, globally famous as a delicious, refreshing and nutritious superfood, if American consumers suddenly could no longer afford it?

As the main importer of the Brazilian berry, prices of acai smoothies and bowls look certain to go up in the United States.

“The acai that’s all produced here ... If only people here eat it, it’s going to be a lot of acai, right?” Moreira told The Associated Press outside of Belem, an Amazon city of 1.4 million residents that will host this year's U.N. climate summit COP30 climate summi t in November. “If there’s too much acai here, people won’t be able to eat it all and the price will drop.”

A single full crate of acai sells for around $50 at local markets in Brazil, a price that is now expected to plummet. The U.S. is by far the largest acai importer of a total Brazilian output currently estimated at about 70,000 tons per year.

Impact already being felt

The most vulnerable acai producers in the northern state of Para say they have already been hit by tariffs imposed by the U.S. government, as a surplus of the berry without a clear destination starts to mount only days after the new economic scenario unfolded.

More powerful exporters, such as Sao Paulo-state based company Acai Tropicalia Mix, are also feeling the impact.

One of its owners, Rogério de Carvalho, told the AP that last year he exported to the U.S. about 270 tons of acai cream — an industrialized version of the berry — ready for consumption. As tariffs started to loom, he said, American importers steered away and clients suspended negotiations. Until the end of July, de Carvalho estimates that his company sold 27 tons to the U.S.

“That's 1.5 million Brazilian reais ($280,000) that we lost,” the businessman said. “We are confident there will be a deal between the two countries to allow not only our clients to return, but also getting some new ones.”

Tariffs linked to Bolsonaro case

Trump has linked the higher tariffs on Brazil to the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is now under house arrest for his alleged role in leading an alleged coup plot to remain in office, despite his election loss to current leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

And despite several Brazilian exports being exempted from the tariffs, acai berries aren't among them.

Brazil's industry ministry didn't reply to a request for comment on whether acai berries are among the items that remain on the negotiating table with U.S. trade representatives.