Sylvain N'goran, who has been a cocoa farmer for the past 17 years, holds cocoa beans in his hands in the village of Bocanda, north of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Diomande Bleblonde, File)2025-04-17T05:32:01Z NGATTAKRO, Ivory Coast (AP) Jean Mari Konan Yao says hes struggling as a cocoa farmer in the west African nation of Ivory Coast, which produces almost half the worlds cocoa supply of the raw ingredient used in chocolate.Like many in Ivory Coast the worlds biggest cocoa producer Konan Yao says cocoa has long provided a lifeline for him, but adverse weather and plant diseases have hurt harvests in recent years.Now, cocoa farmers worry even more over President Donald Trumps plans to impose a 21% tariff on products from Ivory Coast the highest among West African nations.Although Trump has suspended the tariff plans for 90 days pending further review, authorities in Ivory Coast have warned that such tariffs could send the price of cocoa even higher and destabilize the local market by slowing their sales.Ivory Coast produces between 2 million and 2.5 million metric tons of cocoa annually, with around 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons exported to the United States, according to the Coffee and Cocoa Council. In 2023, Ivory Coast exported $3.68 billion worth of cocoa beans, its second biggest export after gold. The U.S. was its fourth-largest importer of cocoa beans, after the Netherlands, Malaysia and Belgium, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. For most local cocoa growers, any U.S. tariff could further shake a market already struggling with decreasing yields and shrinking funding that has limited farmers ability to meet global demands for chocolate. If we hear the American president is going to put a tax on the price of cocoa, its really not good for us, it doesnt help us, said another cocoa farmer, Salif Traor.Already, cocoa prices were rising in the country, in part because of insufficient and irregular rainfall in Ivory Coast.The U.K.-based Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit research firm has noted a 32% rise in the price of cocoa imported into the United Kingdom over the last three years, partially due to extreme weather conditions in parts of Africa where its mainly grown. Together, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon produce about three-quarters of the worlds cocoa. Cocoa is traded on a regulated, global market. In Ivory Coast, the government usually sets cocoa prices at the onset of each season, with prices reflecting market trends and global prices. The local prices are, however, lower than the global market rates, thereby limiting the farmers profit from high global prices.Authorities say they are already considering cocoa price increases if the U.S. tariff comes into effect.Donald Trumps customs tax is causing us problems. We are already feeling the effects, said Boss Diarra, coordinator of the local cocoa farmers union in Bouafl in central Ivory Coast. He pointed to bags of cocoa that he said farmers have been unable to sell.Meanwhile, a U.S. tariff could mean more cocoa for European markets, said Bruno Marcel Iriti, researcher at the Ivorian Flix Houphout-Boigny Polytechnic Institute. Some of the top importers of Ivory Coast cocoa are in Europe, market data show. European customers will inevitably buy cheaper because when there is too much, the customer is king, Iriti said.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulseThe Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.