Struggling Ivory Coast cocoa farmers are worried about US tariff plans

Jean Mari Konan Yao says he's struggling as a cocoa farmer in the west African nation of Ivory Coast, which produces almost half the world’s cocoa supply of the raw ingredient used in chocolate.Like many in Ivory Coast — the world's 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 Trump’s 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 202...