Vietnamese Coffee Sees Reprieve as Trump Attends ASEAN Summit
October 29 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
The air in the conference hall was thick with diplomacy as former President Donald Trump addressed leaders at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. Yet, for the Vietnamese delegation, a specific announcement cut through the generalities of trade talk, carrying the distinct aroma of relief: a new framework deal that would exempt key products, including coffee, from looming tariffs.
The announcement, made on October 26, signals a potential reprieve for a trade relationship that had been facing significant headwinds. Trump’s broader policy of proposing 20% tariffs on all imports had cast a shadow over Vietnam’s booming coffee industry, which has positioned itself as a global powerhouse. The U.S., which does not domestically produce coffee, is a critical market, and industry associations on both sides had been lobbying fiercely for its exclusion. The new agreement, whose final product list is to be solidified in the coming weeks, explicitly names coffee as a beneficiary, offering a clear path forward for exporters who have been operating under a cloud of uncertainty.
This potential tariff relief comes as Vietnam’s coffee sector is already experiencing an unprecedented boom. Driven by soaring global prices, the nation is projected to achieve a historic $8 billion in coffee export revenues this year. Even under the threat of tariffs, the value of Vietnamese coffee exports to the U.S. saw a staggering 76% increase in the first seven months of 2025, demonstrating robust and resilient demand. This surge is part of a longer trend that has seen Vietnam solidify its role as the world's second-largest coffee exporter, with its robusta beans becoming a staple for blends and instant coffee worldwide.
Behind the record-breaking revenue figures, the industry has been navigating a complex landscape. The Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA) has consistently pointed to quality and branding as the next frontier for sustainable development. The sector is gradually moving beyond the export of raw beans, investing in deep processing to capture more value and build a reputation for premium products. The promise of tariff-free access to the American market would provide a significant boost to these efforts, offering greater stability for long-term investment in quality improvement and brand building.
For now, the farmers in Vietnam's Central Highlands and the exporters in Ho Chi Minh City have reason to raise a cup. The framework deal offers a hopeful narrative that the rich flow of Vietnamese coffee to American consumers will continue unimpeded, a tangible outcome from the high-level discussions in Kuala Lumpur.