Ethiopian coffee exporters are benefiting from the growing demand for their product in China, as more Chinese consumers develop a taste for Ethiopian coffee. Over the past decade, China's yearly coffee consumption has increased by an impressive average of over 15%, in contrast to the global coffee consumption growth rate of just 2.2%.

The Ethiopian government has set an ambitious goal of increasing its annual coffee exports to reach USD 4.6 billion within the next 15 years, while also aiming to capture 1.26 metric tons of the global coffee market by 2033. Achieving these targets would not only boost the country's export volume but also increase the income of its coffee farmers to USD 3.5 billion and generate employment opportunities for 2.7 million people.

In the 2022/2023 fiscal year, Ethiopia exported 240,000 tons of coffee, generating over USD 1.3 billion in revenue. This falls short of the country's target of USD 1.8 billion for the same period. However, despite global challenges faced by the coffee market, the revenue generated is comparable to the previous year's achievement of USD 1.4 billion.

The major coffee export destinations are the USA, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and Germany. China was the seventh largest importer of Ethiopian coffee between June 2022 and April 2023.

Source: Xinhua’s Twitter page, Ethiopian News Agency, 2Merkato Archives