By Senior Editor- China Africa News
Addis Ababa- In the first quarter of its fiscal year (beginning July 8), Ethiopia exported approximately 9,470 tonnes of coffee to China, earning about US$65.49 million a nearly seven-fold year-on-year increase and propelling China from seventh to fourth place among Ethiopia’s coffee importers, according to the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority.
This shift is significant for both nations: for Ethiopia, it opens a major new market and heralds increased foreign-earnings and global reach. For China, it taps into premium-origin coffee from the cradle of Arabica, aligning with rising domestic demand for high-quality beans. But beneath the headline numbers lie deeper dynamics.
Looking ahead, the future gains could be significant if both countries play their parts wisely. Ethiopia needs to use this moment not simply to export more tonnes, but to upgrade its coffee-sector infrastructure: support farmers, improve processing, ensure consistent grading, and increasingly move into roasting/packaging and branding (potentially even establishing Ethiopian-origin café chains or premium packaged coffees in China). By doing so, Ethiopia can capture more of the value rather than remain primarily a raw-bean supplier.
China, meanwhile, could deepen its involvement by investing (either directly or via partnerships) in Ethiopian coffee infrastructure, supply-chain traceability, logistics improvements, and maybe joint branding ventures. That could help stabilize the supply, improve quality, and also embed more of the value chain in mutually beneficial ways.
