By Wu Siya

 

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (China Economic Net)- "It is well-known that the Chinese market is vast, not only in the coffee, but also in other sectors. Moreover, the consumption of coffee in China has grown rapidly for the past few years, which is a great opportunity for Rwanda. There is no denying that China is famous for tea, but now China's "coffee fever" has made international companies, led by Starbucks, come to China to seek cooperation," Emma Mutijima, an importer of coffee from Rwanda told China Economic at the 2024 Café Show China.

 

It is indeed the case. When James Kimonyo, the Rwandan ambassador to China, participated in a live-streaming sales, 3,000 bags of Rwandan coffee were sold out within seconds.

 

“As a country of plateaus, Rwanda’s altitude is generally over 1,000 meters. Coupled with the fertile volcanic soil, our coffee beans have unique fruity and floral aromas. In details, the coffee has fruity flavors such as blueberry, red apple and citrus, and a long aftertaste, which has the potential to be welcomed by more and more Chinese consumers,” Mutijima is proud of the specialties in his country.

 

 

 

At another booth, Frandan Tumukunde, a trader from Uganda, was not to be outdone. Playing characteristic African drums, he loudly greeted visitors. According to Tumukunde, Ugandan coffee has fruit and chocolate aromas, as well as rich in fat and good aftertaste. In fact, we produce the best Robusta coffee in the globe.

 

 

 

Tumukunde added that more and more Chinese consumers are becoming interested in Ugandan coffee. Currently, many Chinese e-commerce companies are selling their coffee, with most of the buyers are Chinese youngsters, who choose coffee not only as a drink but also as a lifestyle.

 

For a long time, Ethiopian coffee has been highly sought after in the Chinese market, with exports to China growing at an annual rate of 27%. Customs data show that from January to November 2023, China imported 20,000 tons of coffee beans from Ethiopia. “I can drink coffee from my hometown in several Chinese coffee chains near the embassy. What a pleasure!”  Tefera Derbew, Ethiopian Ambassador to China, once said excitedly.

 

 

“We attach great importance to China, being our largest market. For consumers here, Yirgacheffe, Arabica and Gesha are already familiar names.” Ms. Munteha Jemal from the Ethiopian Embassy gestured to the reporter to pick up a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the booth. “But our high-quality coffee is much more than that. Participating in this expo is a best opportunity for traders and consumers here to have a deeper understanding of why Ethiopian coffee is the best in the world.” 

 

The reporter learned that the Ethiopian coffee beans are mainly exported to China by sea. After being shelled and peeled, the raw beans are transported to the port of Djibouti by road and rail for loading, and then arrive in China after about 21 days of drifting on the sea. “If you search for Ethiopian coffee on Chinese e-commerce platforms, you could find various brands everywhere - Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harrar... For consumers here, our coffee is only a mobile phone screen away. China and Africa are close partners. I believe that as the trade ties between the two sides continue to deepen and optimize, mutual benefit and win-win will always be the underlying tone of China-Africa cooperation,” said Jemal.

 

From 2020 to 2023, China’s coffee import and export trade turned into a net import trend, with the net import volume rapidly fluctuating from 20,000 tons to 136,100 tons, an increase of 116,000 tons, a 5.8-fold increase, and an average annual compound growth rate of approximately 89.41%. In 2022, China had ranked as the world’s seventh largest coffee consumption market, and it is estimated that China’s coffee consumption will reach 277,000 tons by 2025. More intuitive statistics show that the number of branded coffee shops in China has increased by 58% in the past year to 49,691 stores, surpassing the United States to rank first in the world. A tiny coffee bean has closely connected China and Africa, becoming the magic bean that brings happiness and prosperity.