International commodity trade
Clearer trade, from brief to arrival.
EA Commodities sits between commercial intent and origin reality. We help parties clarify the brief, validate the lot, document the transaction and keep communication moving through the shipment journey.
1. Scope the brief
Define origin, commodity, grade or specification, process, volume, delivery window, packing, destination and target commercial terms.
2. Sample and verify
Review samples, physical quality, cup notes, traceability records, inspection requirements and any buyer or destination-market standards.
3. Contract and ship
Agree the sale contract, Incoterm, payment method, certificates, packing, bill of lading, insurance position and claims procedure. Incoterms allocate defined responsibilities, they do not replace a complete sale contract.
4. Deliver with visibility
Keep buyers and sellers informed from origin handover to destination, while distinguishing confirmed facts from estimates and lot-specific evidence.
How a coffee trade moves
A normal transaction moves from buyer brief and sample review to a written quotation, pro forma invoice and sale contract. The contract should state the commodity, origin, grade or specification, quantity, tolerance, crop or harvest reference, packing, Incoterm and named place, shipment window, inspection basis, payment method, claims process and invoice currency. Before shipment, the parties complete due diligence, confirm the exporter’s authority and prepare the required commercial, customs, quality, origin, insurance and transport documents. Release and payment then follow the agreed documentary and banking structure, not an informal promise.
Payment flow: what buyers should expect
Payment terms are negotiated case by case. Depending on the relationship and risk profile, a transaction may use an advance deposit with a balance at an agreed shipment or document milestone, a documentary letter of credit, documentary collection, or open account for an established and approved counterparty. A letter of credit normally pays against a complying presentation of documents, so the wording of the credit and the document set matter. Documentary collection gives banks an arranging role but does not create the same payment guarantee. Every structure should identify who pays bank charges, how discrepancies are handled and what happens if inspection, shipment or documents are delayed.
USD, EUR and local currency
International coffee contracts are commonly expressed in USD and may be agreed in EUR or another permitted currency where the parties, banks and route support it. Origin-side costs can be incurred in Ethiopian birr, Kenyan shillings, Ugandan shillings, Tanzanian shillings or another local currency. The buyer should pay the currency stated on the invoice to the nominated account, usually through an authorised bank and with the contract or invoice reference. Exchange rates, bank availability, repatriation requirements and conversion rules can change, so no static exchange rate or local-currency equivalent should be treated as a quote. Confirm the live position with the transaction bank before funds are sent.
Ports, corridors and origin logistics
Ethiopia is landlocked and the Addis Ababa to Djibouti corridor remains its dominant international gateway. Coffee is consolidated from producing areas through washing stations, cooperatives, exporters and warehouses before moving by road or rail toward Djibouti. Berbera is taking on a more prominent role. DP World’s terminal investment, the Berbera Special Economic Zone and the Jebel Ali to Berbera service launched in October 2025, reported as operating every nine days, are strengthening its position as a complementary maritime gateway for eastern Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa. Public materials describe current container capacity of about 500,000 TEUs and planned expansion toward 2 million TEUs; planned capacity should not be treated as available capacity until commissioned. Berbera is not yet a replacement for Djibouti: Ethiopian access, customs arrangements, security conditions, carrier availability and political agreements remain subject to change. Mombasa is the principal gateway for Kenyan coffee and an important Northern Corridor outlet for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Dar es Salaam serves Tanzania and the Central Corridor, including connections toward landlocked neighbouring markets. Port calls, inland routes, equipment and transit times remain sensitive to congestion, security, weather and Red Sea disruption.
20ft, 40ft, bulk and cooled containers
For green coffee, a clean, dry and suitably ventilated general-purpose container is the normal starting point. As an indicative planning range, a 20ft container often carries about 18 to 20 metric tonnes of bagged coffee, subject to bag size, moisture, stuffing method, gross-weight limits and inland road regulations. That is commonly around 300 to 325 bags of 60kg, or approximately 275 bags of 69 to 70kg, but the shipping plan must be confirmed for the route and contract. A 40ft container does not automatically carry twice as much: legal payload and road limits can make the practical coffee weight similar, even though the box has more volume. Bulk loading with a food-grade liner can work for larger buyers with suitable receiving systems. Refrigerated or cooled containers are atypical for ordinary green coffee and are usually a special, buyer-specific solution rather than the default. Moisture control, condensation prevention, packaging and storage are normally more important.
Export controls, screening and documents
Each transaction is subject to the laws and controls applicable to the parties, banks, goods, route and destination. Proportionate checks can include identity and beneficial-owner verification, sanctions and politically exposed person screening, adverse-media review, anti-bribery controls, bank screening, export authorisation, customs declarations and destination-market requirements. EA Commodities uses Dilisense as one screening control, alongside review of relevant official UK, EU, US and local authority sources. Typical shipment files may include a commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, quality or weight certificate, inspection evidence, insurance certificate where applicable, phytosanitary documents where required, and any origin-specific export or customs documentation. Controls and sanctions can change without notice, so this page is general information, not legal advice or a substitute for transaction-specific review.
An industry developing under pressure
Ethiopia remains Africa’s largest coffee producer, while Uganda is a major and increasingly strong export story, with Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi contributing distinct origins and trade models. Public estimates differ because production and export data use different crop years, fiscal years and methods. USDA’s May 2026 Ethiopia report estimated exports at 7.43 million 60kg bags for marketing year 2024/25, revised 2025/26 exports to 6.965 million bags and forecast 7.13 million bags for 2026/27. Treat these as dated estimates, not guaranteed availability. The sector is developing through direct export, traceability, specialty processing, digital documentation and more value-added work, but green beans still dominate export volumes. Climate risk is also becoming more operational: higher temperatures, delayed or irregular rains, drought episodes, harvest timing changes, disease pressure and water stress can affect yield, quality, working capital and shipment timing. Shade, soil and water management, resistant varieties, better drying, improved traceability and careful lot planning are part of the response.
Market data and regulatory references checked August 2026. Export quantities, FX rules, sanctions, port conditions, freight, container availability and buyer requirements change. Confirm the live position before contracting.
