New US import tariffs are sending shockwaves through the global confectionery industry, with chocolate, candy, and gum producers facing mounting challenges to maintain market access, pricing, and innovation pipelines.
As of April 2025, the US has imposed a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, with a 20% rate for goods from the European Union and a 31% tariff on confectionery from Switzerland. China faces a 145% tariff on bulk shipments, while Canada – which exported $5.3bn (€4.7bn) in confectionery goods to the US in 2024 – is also significantly exposed.
Industry groups warn of long-term disruption
European agri-food trade body CELCAA has criticised the measures, describing the US as a historically reliable partner and warning that the tariffs will damage long-standing trading relationships. “It is a sorry day for trade and, ultimately, for the consumer in the US,” a CELCAA spokesperson stated.
The organisation also warned that the new tariffs undermine the reliability of transatlantic supply chains, hinder new business development, and limit the ability of companies to respond to market demand.
Amid the new tariff increase, agri-food commodities and confectionery trading between the US and the EU is not expected to stop. However, CELCAA has noted that the recently announced imposing of tariffs “severely hinders the scope for existing commercial relationships to continue ‘business as usual’ and for new commercial relationships to thrive. It sets a lamentable precedent for trade relations with the US going forward and will ultimately hinder innovation.”
Rising costs and frozen innovation
The timing is especially difficult for confectioners already grappling with volatile cocoa prices and seasonal demand. According to Mintel, the US has lagged behind European markets like the UK, France, and Germany in confectionery innovation – a gap that could widen further as exporters put the brakes on new product development.
ING economist Thijs Geijer says that although some EU producers stockpiled ahead of the tariffs, uncertainty around their duration will affect strategic decision-making. “Companies want to know what countermeasures the EU and others may introduce before altering supply chains,” he says.
Market access and trade policy in question
The confectionery industry’s response underscores the broader food sector’s reliance on stable trade agreements. Switzerland’s leading chocolate makers – including Lindt, Toblerone, and Villars – now face steep US tariffs. The US is Switzerland’s second-largest trading partner after the EU.
Negotiations continue over potential trade agreements such as EU–Mercosur, and the UK has reopened talks with India. But in the meantime, confectioners are left in limbo, reluctant to overhaul operations without clarity on future trading conditions.
CELCAA is urging renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation and is working with the European Commission on a response strategy. “Diversification of trade and the opening of new market opportunities in other regions of the world will be key to weathering this storm,” says CELCAA’s spokesperson.
