China brewing up business for African coffee beans

China's zero-tariff policy for 53 African diplomatic partners took effect on May 1, boosting coffee imports via Shanghai, China's key port, and benefiting numerous African coffee farmers.

The Hongqiao International Coffee Industry Chain Ecosystem Conference was held in Shanghai from Tuesday to Wednesday. Its roundtable discussions centered on zero-tariff advantages and new China-Africa trade opportunities, as the previous minimum 8 percent tariff on African coffee beans has been abolished.

Visitors try Ethiopian coffee during an expo in Shanghai. MENG CHENGUANG/XINHUA

Su Lin, vice-president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said at the conference that China is the world's first major economy to roll out full unilateral zero-tariff preferences for African diplomatic partners and least developed countries.

Mo Haowen of Xinzhuang Customs in Shanghai said China's coffee market has expanded rapidly in a decade. Imports surged from 59,100 metric tons in 2015 to 213,300 tons in 2024, while annual per capita coffee consumption rose from 42 grams to 151 grams.

Shanghai remains China's top coffee import hub, handling 38 percent of national imports and 40 percent of African coffee imports in 2025. From January to April, the city's coffee imports reached 2.67 billion yuan ($392 million), up 15.5 percent year-on-year, with African green bean imports surging 129.5 percent to 583 million yuan.

Mo outlined relevant customs facilitation measures: eligible African beans are tariff-free with only 13 percent VAT; shipments under $1,000 FOB enjoy fast clearance without certificates; and green beans are eligible for the agricultural green channel.

He added that only seven countries — including Ethiopia and Burundi — currently have coffee export access to China, and firms must meet strict phytosanitary and pesticide residue standards.

Tan Tian, head of the African coffee department at Shanghai Dragon Corp, has helped drive African coffee's explosive growth in China. The firm, which set up a sweater factory in Africa in 2018, entered Ethiopia's coffee market and launched imports in 2020.

"We increased our imports from about 120 tons in 2020 to about 1,600 tons in 2025. Our growth curve is a microcosm of African coffee's growth in the Chinese market," Tan said.

He added that Ethiopia — the world's seventh-largest coffee exporter — is China's second-biggest import source, driven mainly by tariff cuts, and its unique fruity notes make East African beans the most cost-effective option in China.

He emphasized that Chinese demand has directly expanded Africa's coffee exports, broken longstanding industry monopolies, and brought tangible foreign exchange and jobs to the continent.

Li Ying, strategic development director at Hainan Zhongyu International Cooperation Co Ltd — the only Chinese firm importing Burundian coffee — said the company has signed contracts for over 900 tons of beans worth $5.44 million since late July 2025.

Estifanos Daniel Wolde, an Ethiopian family coffee trader with four years of China trade experience, is a direct beneficiary of China's coffee boom.

Recognizing China's massive potential, his family business — which previously exported mainly to Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Sudan — has shifted its core focus to China.

（chinadaily.com.cn）