Tariffs, Trade Wars & Chocolate: What It Means for You

At The High Five Company, we’re all about bringing you the best bean-to-bar chocolate from around the world. But recent developments in global trade could have a serious impact on the craft chocolate industry — and we want to be transparent with you about what’s going on.

The U.S. has announced new tariffs that significantly raise the cost of importing cacao beans. This hits American craft chocolate makers especially hard, as many rely on direct trade with farmers to source high quality beans. Meanwhile, some of our European partners depend on exporting their chocolate to the U.S., and if the EU decides to retaliate, we could soon face tariffs on U.S. imports too. Currently we order from several of the best U.S. chocolate makers, including Dick Taylor, Fruition, Raaka and Taza.

What does this mean for you? Unfortunately, prices of our U.S. chocolate may increase in the near future. Thankfully, we have many European brands in our range that will not be as directly affected by the tariffs. 

The craft chocolate market has already been rocked by the cocoa shortage and price increase, and these new trade barriers may well add extra pressure across the board. With many consumers tightening their belts and chocolate prices increasing, there are some tough times ahead.

However, rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to keep your favourite chocolates affordable and available. We’re in close contact with our makers, exploring smart solutions, and adjusting our sourcing strategies where needed — all to make sure our shelves stay stocked with the bars you love.

Thank you for sticking with us and supporting exceptional, ethical and sustainable chocolate. We’ll keep you posted as things evolve — and as always, get in contact if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Dennis and The High Five Company team