Coffee · guide
Coffee shipments run on a mix of commercial papers, official certificates and quality evidence. This page explains what each one proves and where exporters tend to slip.
| Market | Imports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B | 2024 |
| Germany | $6.5B | 2024 |
| France | $4.0B | 2024 |
| Italy | $3.4B | 2024 |
| Canada | $2.4B | 2024 |
| Spain | $2.2B | 2024 |
| Market | Exports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | $11.8B | 2024 |
| India | $5.2B | 2024 |
| Vietnam | $4.7B | 2023 |
| Germany | $4.5B | 2024 |
| Switzerland | $3.9B | 2024 |
| China | $3.6B | 2024 |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices). Source: UN Comtrade.
The commercial invoice names the parties, describes the coffee, gives the quantity, unit basis and total, and states the Incoterm. The packing list itemises bags or cartons with net and gross weights, plus marks and lot numbers. The transport document, a bill of lading by sea or airway bill by air, is the carrier’s receipt, and the buyer’s bank often needs original copies of it.
Coffee invoices carry more detail than many commodities because the lot identity matters. Include the crop year, the type or grade as agreed in the contract, and the processing method if the contract specifies it. Every figure should tie to the packing list, since coffee is often weighed by the bag and a few kilos of difference triggers claims.
Coffee sits in heading 0901, and the description on the paper should fit the subheading used. Unroasted coffee is 090111, decaffeinated unroasted 090112, roasted 090121 and roasted decaffeinated 090122. Husks and skins are 090130, and coffee substitutes containing coffee 090140. An invoice that says ‘coffee’ with a roasted code but describes ‘green beans’ invites an inspection.
If a shipment mixes green and roasted lines, keep them separate on the invoice and declaration. The country’s own tariff adds digits beyond six, so have your broker confirm the full code for each line, and make sure the code on the invoice equals the one in the customs declaration.
The export declaration is filed with your customs authority and releases the goods for shipment. In some coffee-producing countries, a sector body must also register the sale or stamp a document before customs will clear it. Ask the customs office and the trade body precisely what is required now, since coffee is one of the goods some governments monitor closely.
A certificate of origin states the country of production. Chambers of commerce or designated offices issue it. Buyers use it for their own import formalities, and preferential-duty schemes may prescribe the format. For coffee bought from several regions, describe the origin exactly as the certificate allows: a blend of lots from two countries cannot carry a single-origin claim.
Green coffee is an agricultural product, and importers commonly ask for a phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant protection authority of the exporting country after inspection. This is usually required for unroasted beans, but confirm with the buyer and the destination authority, since roasted coffee is often treated differently.
If any treatment such as fumigation is applied to bags or containers, the treatment record can be requested by the destination. Do not fumigate without asking, because some buyers reject treated coffee, and some treatments are limited by the destination’s rules. Keep the treatment certificate with the shipment file if one was carried out.
A pre-shipment sample approval, signed by the buyer, is the anchor for any later dispute. Pair it with a certificate of quality or a grading report showing screen size, defect count and moisture, and, where agreed, a cup evaluation. Certificates from an independent inspection company are common in larger contracts and are worth their cost when a buyer sits in another time zone.
Laboratory analyses cover contaminants and residues against the limits of the destination market. Match the lot numbers on the report to the lots in the container, and date the report close to shipment. Coffee that is stored for months between testing and loading can be rejected on a report that no longer describes it.
Certified coffee brings its own documents. A certificate from a recognised scheme, a transaction certificate tying the sale to certified stock, and traceability records back to farms are typical. These are only valid if you hold the certification at the time of the sale, and the lot must have been kept segregated from uncertified coffee.
Never describe a lot as certified, fair-trade or single-estate on the invoice unless the documents back it. A false claim can cost the buyer their own certification and will cost you the account. If the buyer’s market requires due-diligence statements on origin, ask early what they need from you.
Roasted coffee is a packaged food, so the paperwork leans toward food law. Expect requests for a food-safety certificate for the roastery, a lot and roast-date record, labelling that meets the destination’s language and content rules, and analysis reports for the finished product. Packaging materials that touch the coffee may also need a declaration of suitability for food contact.
Retail labels are checked at the border in many markets, so send artwork to the buyer before printing. Getting a label wrong means relabelling under customs supervision or refusal of entry.
The largest importers in the chapter are the United States at $11.7B, Germany at $6.5B, France at $4.0B, Italy at $3.4B, Canada at $2.4B and Spain at $2.2B. These are chapter 09 totals, not coffee alone. Once you pick a destination, ask the buyer for the importer’s checklist, and compare with recent shipment records for 0901 to see how comparable consignments are described.
Copy the level of detail, not the words. The records show the code and description as the importer declared them, which helps you align vocabulary without guessing. Always confirm current requirements with the destination customs authority.
A commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and export declaration form the base. Buyers commonly add a certificate of origin, a plant-health certificate, a quality or grading report and a signed sample approval.
It is usually required for unroasted beans but rules vary by destination, and roasted coffee is often handled differently. Confirm the current requirement with the buyer and the destination authority before loading.
Heading 0901. Use 090111 for unroasted, 090112 for decaffeinated unroasted, 090121 for roasted and 090122 for roasted decaffeinated. Your broker will add the national digits.
Typical reasons are weights that differ between papers, a code that does not fit the description, out-of-date lab reports, missing certificates, or certification claims the paperwork cannot support.
Yes. It is a packaged food, so expect food-safety evidence for the roastery, roast-date and lot records, destination-compliant labels and often finished-product analysis. Send label artwork to the buyer before printing.
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