Ethiopia Green Coffee Export Review

Article Summary

• Coffee from the country is some of the most iconic in the world. Flavor profiles are juicy, bright and have dazzling clarity 
• Cooperatives are an integral part of the production model the country relies on  
• 11.56 million 60kg bags produced for 2025/26 with top three destinations being Saudi Arabia, Germany and the United States. 
• Domestic consumption is on the rise with more local cafes opening up due to rapid urbanization, more young coffee consumers. This combined with the cultural coffee consumption it the country creates the largest local coffee consumption in the world 
• Ethiopia is well known for its numerous distinct regions, including Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji in the south, Harar in the east, and Limu and Bench Maji in the west. 
• As a landlocked country, they rely on Djibouti to export goods as the country and port have a prime location that provides them access to the Suiz canal. This port links Europe, the horn of Africa, Persian Gulf and the far east. 

Ethiopia Export Overview 2026  

Coffee cultivation and consumption are rooted in Ethiopian culture, reflected in the country’s abnormally large percentage of coffee produced that is never exported, destined for domestic consumption. 

Coffee from the country is some of the most iconic in the world both in cup quality, cup profile and reputation. Flavors are often juicy, bright and have a dazzling clarity. Both washed and natural coffees are common to receive in the U.S with alternative processing methods such as anaerobic and co-fermentation slowly on the rise. Coffee from the country fetches higher than average global premiums; and is a staple on roaster and café menus worldwide.  

Being coffee’s genetic homeland, many cultivar types have been isolated from the region. This paired with highly distinct growing regions makes for a plethora of options for coffee buyers. Like many coffee-producing countries, the infrastructure relies mostly on small farm holders for production. Cooperatives are integral for organizing small farm holders and provide product that is consistent.  

Ongoing logistical challenges have created strain for exporters to navigate coffee shipments. Disruptions have led to fuel shortages, reduced vessel calls, empty container shortages and irregular shipping schedules. Fuel shortage in particular is one of the most impactful issues with coffees failing to move from regional areas to central processing facilities in the capital. All of these factors compounded lead to delays.  

Production & Export 

Ethiopia produces exclusively Arabica, and is continuously in the global top 5 in volume produced, but falls close to tenth in export volumes, due to the sheer amount of volume consumed internally.  In 2025 Ethiopia achieved a record estimated 11.56 million 60kg bags, with a reported 4.5 million of those bags being consumed internally (these figures can be difficult to verify accurately because of the common practice of its consumption in the field by producers prior to formal tabulation). Production and export volumes continue on an annual upward trend and have done so with consistency for most of the past few decades. 

Ethiopian production volumes for the 2025/26 marketing year are on the rise, with 11.56 million 60kg bags produced, with exports at 7.13 million 60kg bags. 2026 was a record year for cherry prices and rising operation costs have put more pressure on traders and exporters financially. China is continuously as a top purchaser of Ethiopia coffee which is driven by its tariff free market access with the destination for coffee exports is to Saudi Arabia (as of 2024). The top three destinations in order is Saudi ($303M dollars), Germany ( $207M) and United States ($169M).  In 2024 Ethiopia exported 1.64B dollars work of coffee making it the 9th largest exporter of coffee in the world.  

In 2025 the country also reported record earnings for coffee exports, however high cherry prices and production costs can stifle profits. The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) reports an 87% increase in revenue compared to same period as last year and shipping volumes rising upward of 70% This is largely due to targeted domestic reforms and favorable conditions in the global market. 

Tightening washed coffees supplies in recent years have been reported, as many coffee producers opt to dry coffee at home as naturals in an attempt to earn more money. Most notably cherry prices are higher than ever with this past year being four times higher than the previous year. This combined with labor expenses created difficulties for wet mills to have the proper amount cash flow to pay everyone involved in this step, resulting in lower outputs for washed coffees and competition for available cherry supply between exporters, farmer coops and domestic traders.  

Ethiopian coffee passes through a multifaceted grading system to determine its export value, initially broken into two categories: Raw Value and Cup Quality Value. Additional considerations are made by the ECTA based on traditional regional flavor profiles and bean shape characteristics. There are currently 5 numerical grades designated for export, with an additional under grade category and further internal consumption lower grades. 

Ethiopia does not contribute coffee to the C market, nor are its coffees typically priced against it. Prices are either agreed upon in outright terms between buyer and seller, or established at the ECX. 

Reports from the ECTA indicate that 5.9 million farmers are engaged in coffee production with smallholder farmers dominate the coffee sector. At the farm level growing adoptions of agronomic practices like pruning and stumping old trees and intercropping. This, along with an increase in cultivar that have higher yields and more disease resistance have contributed to more productive crop yields.  

Sources cite that almost 70% of Ethiopia coffee trees are older with some estimated to be over 100 years old. A national stumping campaign began six years ago, the following time the trees have now begun producing yields that have contributed to the uptick in production. The government has invested a large sum into the private vector sector coffee development to push mechanized and commercial farms. Most commercial farms are in Oromia and Southwestern Ethiopia regions, this planned expansion could create up to a 70% increase in the area available for commercial farming. Officials creating this particular initiative as a drive to transform the coffee sector from the traditional smallholder model to a more hybrid mode that combines established practices with larger scale and tech forward production.  

Growing regions  

Ethiopia is well known for its numerous distinct regions, including Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji in the south, Harar in the east, and Limu and Bench Maji in the west. 

Yirgacheffe and Sidama are part of the Southern Nations region, and qualify amongst the most recognizable specialty coffee production zones, with flavor profiles that are highly aromatic, floral, and citric. Yirgacheffe coffee covers a regional area, but it is technically a city—the political boundary of the wider zone is called Gedeb. These regions grow some of the highest coffee in Ethiopia, up to 2,200 masl. Coffees from these areas can garner some of the highest prices from the country. Both washed and natural coffees are commonly produced. Nearby Guji was once considered part of Sidama, but is now a distinctive zone in the Oromia region, though its flavors are similar, albeit often considered a little fuller in flavor and less delicate in aroma. Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest regional state by land mass and population, and is the coffee’s top coffee production state by volume. 

Harar is among the oldest commercially productive regions in the country and is well known by consumers and green buyers alike. The flavor is bold and edgy with lots of complexity in the cup. Irrigation is often employed due to the dry climate, and available volumes and high quality coffees has become less frequently available in recent decades. Buyers frequently lament the absence of a distinctive blueberry note, once a hallmark of the region. Harari coffee is almost exclusively produced as natural process. Harar is a city, with Harari coffee produced in the wider Eastern Hararge political zone. 

The Limu zone is not a political boundary, but a coffee origin spanning parts of the Jimma and Illubabar regions. It is known for high quality coffees and most of the growers are small farm holders but there are some large government plantations in the area. Flavor profile is often floral, soft and juicy with a fruity acidity. 

Bench Maji represents one of the least developed coffee production zones, and many of the trees in the region are cultivated in semi-wild forests rather than on private plots. It rarely achieves the quality status or recognition of other commonly available coffee production areas. 

Cultivars 

Once commonly referred to simply as “heirloom varieties,” Ethiopia in fact has a long and well documented history of cultivated variety selection. Modern parlance often employs the term “landrace” for undocumented, semi-cultivated varieties. 

The Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) represents one of the world’s most important gene banks and was responsible for much of the documentation and selection of varieties throughout the country’s recent history. The most frequently seen cultivars from this station are designated numerically and often start with the digits 74, representing the year of their accession, 1974. These include 74110, 74112, and 74148. 

74110 is a common cultivar from Ethiopia and was selected by JARC researchers in 1974 in the Metu province of the Illubabora zone. After stabilizing the cultivar they were they confirmed it’s resistance to coffee berry disease and high yield potential. This is a very famous lineage due to its excellent cup profile known for its citrus notes and high florals. The plant is short and compact which allows for condensed planting and higher yield for farmers 

74112 is another cultivar found in 1974 in the Metu-Bishari forest. It showed signs of resistance to coffee berry disease and was officially approved for release in 1979. Planted in abundance in high altitudes of southern, southwestern and western parts of coffee growing regions in Ethiopia. This plant is short statured as well with smaller fruit and small bean size.  

74148 is another cultivar selected in Bishari in Illuababora zone in 1974. After a series of lab tests, resistance to coffee berry disease was confirmed and recommended for production. Couple with it’s resistance, the coffee has good yield and known for high cup quality. It is often recommended for production within the Gera, Hima and Metu coffee growing zones. Also a compact plant but producers have to watch out for drought conditions as it performs very poorly when they experience it. 

Innumerable Ethiopian landrace selections have been relocated and/or smuggled out of the country and grow worldwide. These include Gesha, Wush Wush, Pink Bourbon, Chiroso, and many more. (It could be argued that on a long enough timeline, all arabica cultivars can claim Ethiopia as their original provenance.) Gesha has been reintroduced to Ethiopia via Panama, and also reselected recently, often under the name Gori Gesha. Its production volumes, however, are limited. 

Lastly, specialty buyers may recognize names like Dega, Kurume/Kudhume, and Wolisho/Walicho. These are locally adapted landraces in Sidama, Gedeb, and Guji, and are well-known to regional farmers, though they are not thoroughly documented nor genetically verified as individual varieties. 

Logistics 

As a landlocked country Ethiopia relies on other countries to export product, namely Djibouti is where most if not all of exports move to. Djibouti port in the country of Djibouti has a prime location with access to one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. This port links Europe, the horn of Africa, Persian Gulf and the far east. There have been many sociological crises that have impacted the ability of product to move in and out of the country.  

Many of the producers are small farm holders and live in vert remote regions of the country. This is the case with many coffee producing countries. Coops are abundant in Ethiopia and support organization between farmers which in turn improves quality and results in better pay for producers. Coops provide a centralized place to deliver raw cherry and to process cherry consistently. From wet mill processing they can deliver it to a larger dry mill site and then the processed coffee will make its way to a shipping container in Djibouti onto its next location. While coops are a large part of the production style in the country there are some larger single estates that exist as well. Logistical issues in the past 10 years or so often arise during the exporting phase rather than the initial production phases. This is due to the ongoing political crises and covid created labor shortages as well as shipping container shortages to name a few.  

Royal Coffee Availability 

Coffee harvests from October until January through much of Ethiopia’s primary growing regions. Availability for Ethiopia is slowly increasing at this time due to continuous arrivals of shipments. Typically early low-grade specialty coffees from Ethiopia begin arriving in April-May, followed by top grades throughout the summer and into the fall. Special selections from our Crown Jewel menu include a “Supernatural” and rue and lemongrass co-fermented offerings.