Congressman Scott Perry is leading a Republican effort to address concerns over tariffs affecting Pennsylvania’s chocolate industry. Perry emphasized the importance of revising these tariffs to protect confectioners.
“Everyone loves chocolate. But confectioners of all sizes are under significant threat if we don’t revise the looming tariffs on our chocolate manufacturing industry,” said Congressman Scott Perry. “With the support of my colleagues, I contacted the Trump Administration to request a fair and balanced trade policy – one that won’t inadvertently hamstring thousands of hardworking Americans in the chocolate industry, especially here in Pennsylvania.”
Perry specifically asked for cocoa beans and related products to be excluded from tariffs due to their necessity for U.S. imports, as cocoa cannot be grown domestically. “Cocoa trees grow exclusively within 20 degrees of the Equator, making America’s chocolate industry entirely dependent upon imports because there’s no alternatives or substitutes,” he stated.
The domestic chocolate manufacturing sector employs tens of thousands of Americans, many based in Pennsylvania. Perry noted these jobs align with those the Trump Administration aims to protect.
