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Lots of modern coffee machines come stuffed full of electronics. They have touchscreens, customizable programs, and many can connect to WiFi for some reason.
Italian manufacturer De’Longhi is taking full advantage of that fact by rebranding some of its espresso machines as computers. Why? To sidestep some of Trump’s tariffs. In late July, the United States placed a 15% tariff on goods from the European Union; however, computers and some other electronics were given an exemption.
As Melissa Angell reports for Inc., De’Longhi worked with a Spanish marketing firm to design an advertising campaign that pokes fun at the computer loophole. The company’s website features a video that states, “Since April 11th in the United States, every machine that processes data, gives output, stores information, and runs programs has been exempt from tariffs for being considered a computer. So, meet the computer that also makes coffee.”
The De’Longhi website lists two identical products with slightly different labels. The one labelled “coffee machine” has an “easy-to-use touchscreen” and “16 different types of drinks,” while the one labelled “computer” is slightly cheaper and has a “smart input recognition” and “16 customizable programs.” The joke—as you’ve likely surmised—is that the machines are exactly the same.
The campaign is likely a tongue-in-cheek marketing initiative rather than a legitimate tariff-avoidance strategy, given the potentially punitive penalties for tariff evasion. However, it does highlight the problems coffee equipment companies currently face trying to sell products in the U.S.
In May, we brought news that Fellow Products had to pause imports of its much-hyped new espresso machine after Trump placed huge tariffs on products from China. Just this week, Reuters reported that Thermoplan, a Swiss coffee machine manufacturer, said the 39% tariff on Swiss goods is costing the company $250,000 every week.
