If you’re planning to stock up on chocolate bunnies or sneak a few foil-wrapped eggs into Easter baskets this year, you might want to brace yourself.
What used to be a sweet seasonal tradition is now becoming a luxury, thanks to a combination of global cocoa shortages and former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
This year’s Easter is shaping up to be the most expensive one yet for chocolate fans—and that’s saying something for a country that spent $5.4 billion on Easter candy alone just last year.
Cocoa Prices Are Skyrocketing—and Climate Change Is to Blame
Behind the sudden jump in chocolate costs is a serious issue in the cocoa industry.
West Africa, which produces about 70% of the world’s cocoa, has been hit hard by bad weather and crop disease. The result? A devastating shortage.
Experts say there’s now a gap of more than 400,000 tons in global cocoa supply.
That’s pushed prices through the roof—from a typical $2,000 per ton to over $12,000 per ton in 2024.
Chocolate companies are struggling to keep up, and consumers are starting to feel the pinch.
As Joseph Balagtas, a professor of agricultural economics, put it: “You can skip chicken and opt for pork chops if prices are high.
But try baking chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips—it’s just not the same.”
Trump’s New Tariffs Are Only Making Things Worse
Adding fuel to the fire, Trump’s newly introduced tariffs are shaking up the market even more.
Earlier this April, he rolled out a new wave of global tariffs starting at 10%, affecting everything from beauty products to chocolate—and even sex toys.
His message was blunt: “If you want your tariff rate to be zero, then you build your product right here in America.” But for chocolate, that’s nearly impossible.
Why? Cocoa beans only grow in tropical climates, and the U.S. has just two places that fit the bill: Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
According to chocolate expert Greg D’Alesandre, “The U.S. makes, generously, 100 tons of cocoa a year.
We use 120 tons just at our small shop. There’s no way we can grow all the cocoa we need.”
Smaller Chocolate Businesses Are Feeling the Heat
Big candy brands are struggling—but small chocolatiers are barely hanging on.
And it’s not just the price of cocoa. Tariffs have driven up packaging and shipping costs, too.
Oliver Holecek, who owns Primo Chocolate in New York, is already bracing for higher expenses. “Most paper manufacturing happens in China.
There’s really not a lot of great resources in the U.S. right now,” he explained.
With shipping delays expected and costs climbing, it’s becoming harder and harder for small businesses to survive. “I’ve known three chocolate makers who’ve gone under in the last three years,” D’Alesandre said.
“There’s just too much pricing chaos. It’s impossible to make a long-term plan.”
The Bigger Picture: American Households Are Feeling the Squeeze
It’s not just chocolate that’s affected. According to estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s tariff policies could cost the average American household nearly $4,000 more per year.
That includes a projected 3% price hike across everyday goods—chocolate included.
Even as economists try to figure out what all this means long term, one thing’s for sure: American families are already seeing their wallets stretched thinner.
Trump Defends the Chaos as a Necessary Operation
Despite the market upheaval, Trump remains unapologetic.
Speaking to reporters from the White House lawn, he compared the situation to a medical procedure.
“It was an operation,” he said. “Like when a patient gets operated on and it’s a big thing.
I said this would exactly be the way it is.”
Whether that analogy holds up or not, one thing is clear—this Easter, chocolate might be more of a splurge than a staple.
And for the businesses trying to keep those sweet traditions alive, the road ahead looks anything but sugary.