SOFTS-Coffee gains as investors assess US tariffs, Brazil weather

LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Coffee futures on ICE gained on Wednesday with investors continuing to assess the effect of steep U.S. tariffs on top coffee grower Brazil, and remained mindful of the cold snap in some of the country's growing areas.

COFFEE

* Arabica coffee futures KCc1 rose 1.9% to $3.1405 per lb by 1545 GMT, after touching a six-week high on Tuesday.

* Buyers in the United States have started requesting to postpone imports of Brazilian coffee following a 50% tariff imposed on Brazil's goods by the U.S., local exporters' group Cecafe said.

* The U.S. coffee industry is now in a holding pattern as it awaits news on tariff negotiations, said Cecafe.

* Dealers said in the absence of a fresh disaster, coffee has likely hit its highs for now. They explained that while the tariff issue will continue to trouble physical traders, it will largely hit premiums and discounts for physical grades, and whether contracts are fulfilled or not.

* Elsewhere, reports of light, spotty frosts in some Brazilian coffee areas contributed to the jump in prices this week, though the harvest continues to progress well overall.

* Also Cooxupe, Brazil's largest coffee co-operative, said its farmers had harvested 80.4% of their 2025 crop as of August 8, below the 87.3% reported at the same time last year.

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 4.8% to $3,802 a metric ton, having hit its highest in nearly two months at $3,870.

COCOA

* New York cocoa CCc2 fell 1.3% to $8,558 a metric ton, having hit a six-week high of $8,823 on Monday.

* Following poor weather conditions, top cocoa producer Ivory Coast has cut to 1.2 million tons its export contract sales of the 2025/26 main crop from October to March, down from 1.3 million, two sources from the country's Coffee and Cocoa Council told Reuters.

* Dealers, however, cited industry reports saying both Ivory Coast and Ghana have more forward selling of their 2025/26 main crop left to do, with Latin America also selling actively of late, after prices hit near two-month highs.

* London cocoa LCCc2 fell 0.8% to 5,763 pounds per ton.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 slipped 0.3% to 16.89 cents/lb, having hit a two-month high of 17.05 cents on Tuesday amid improving demand in the physical markets.

* White sugar LSUc1 was little changed at $486.70 a ton.