Coffee · importers
China ranks tenth of 96 at $2.1B in the coffee, tea and spices chapter, a small line in a very large import bill.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Canada | $2.4B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices); coffee is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
The Netherlands is just above at $2.2B and Saudi Arabia below at $1.6B. China’s 3.1% share of reported world imports puts it in the top ten, yet the chapter is only 0.1% of its $2.59T imports and ranks 59th among its import chapters. Electrical machinery at $583.9B and fuels at $504.0B set the scale.
For a coffee seller, this shows that China’s coffee trade is small relative to its size and could look different from year to year.
Coffee-drinking habits in China are less established than in Europe or North America, and the chapter figure also includes tea and spices, both of which the country handles in large quantity. Importers may therefore be serving new cafe chains, bottled and instant products, or ingredient makers. Ask a prospect what products its coffee ends up in. Sales channels there can be quite different from those in older coffee markets, with online retail and delivery platforms playing a large role, so ask how the importer reaches its customers and what pack sizes or formats they favour.
Requirements from the food-safety authorities can be detailed, so confirm them early.
The Republic of Korea, the USA, Japan and Australia lead China’s overall source list. It reflects industrial trade and says nothing about coffee origins; use coffee-heading shipment records for that.
The $2.1B combines coffee, tea, mate and spices, so coffee is only a portion. Rankings are reporter-declared and re-exports can shift them.
Confirm the current import, inspection and registration requirements with the authorities, and agree Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port with the buyer. Shipment records show consignees; this site’s free marketplace helps you approach them.
Tenth of 96 markets at $2.1B in 2024, a 3.1% share of reported world imports.
Only 0.1% of $2.59T, ranking 59th among its import chapters.
No. It includes tea, mate and spices.
Search coffee-heading shipment records and read the consignee and weight fields.
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