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

NEW YORK, 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 settled up 4.45 cents, or 1.4%, at $3.196 per lb​​, after touching a six-week high on Tuesday.

* Buyers in the United States are requesting to Brazilian coffee exporters to postpone shipments 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 4.7% to $3,799 a metric ton, having hit its highest in nearly two months at $3,870.

COCOA

* New York cocoa CCc2 ​​settled down $110, or 1.3%, to $8,558 a 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 5,758 pounds per ton.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 settled down 0.09 cent, or 0.5%, at 16.85 cents per lb, having hit a two-month high of 17.05 cents on Tuesday amid improving demand in the physical markets.

* Pakistan's state trading agency TCP is believed to have purchased about 55,000 tons of white sugar in an international tender seeking up to 100,000 tons which closed this week.

* White sugar LSUc1 was little changed at $487.20 a ton.