Many of you have reached out with thoughtful questions about how Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate is navigating the current economic climate, and I want to take a moment to share a quick update.
Like many small businesses, we’re feeling the effects of a very uncertain and volatile global economy. Our next shipment of bulk chocolate—valued at $171,500 and currently making its way through customs—is now subject to a new 10% tariff under the current administration’s policy. That adds an unexpected $17,150 to our ingredient costs before the chocolate even reaches our kitchen.
**July 31st update, Trump raised the tariff for Ecuadorian products from 10% to 15%, increasing our total tariff on this order to $24,725**
Never in my 23 years as a small business owner have I felt obstructed by our national government in my ability to operate, manage, and grow my business as I do now under President Trump. I'm grateful to be located in Michigan where our Governor and state leadership understand that these tariffs are a haphazard tax on Americans. Extreme tariffs such as these are a reckless experiment at the expense of the American people. And these tariffs alienate the United States from dozens of our allies around the world; is this really the kind of country we want to be? **We call on our elected officials to put an end to the tariffs immediately.**
On top of tariffs, the US dollar has fallen in value significantly this year. Because cacao doesn’t grow in the U.S. in any meaningful quantity, we import all of it. That means every dollar we spent last year now buys about 10% less chocolate. So, between the tariff and currency devaluation, our total cost increase on this shipment is closer to 26%.
Global cocoa prices remain at historic highs in 2025. After peaking at an unheard-of $12,700 per ton last year (we covered this in our Spring 2024 blog post linked here), cocoa is still trading at over $7,000 per ton—more than three times what the industry paid just 18 months ago.
These challenges are real, but so is our commitment to quality, transparency and a better world. We’re incredibly grateful for your continued support and belief in what we do. We’re keeping a close eye on our costs, and any price increases you may see this year are a direct result of two major factors: the newly implemented 15% tariff on chocolate imports and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar—both driven by current national policies. Last year, we made a modest price adjustment in response to record-high global cocoa prices, which have now become the new norm in our industry.
Like most small businesses, we don’t want to raise prices. But when we must, you can trust that we’ll do so strategically, and with our community in mind. We remain committed to making high-quality, ethically sourced chocolate—and to being transparent with you every step of the way.
