On August 14, the 2026 Hainan International Coffee Expo opened in Hainan Province, southern China. Zhang Hong, chairman of the Asia Coffee Association, revealed that China's coffee market is currently maintaining an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15-25% and is expected to continue for at least the next 5-10 years.

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According to data, coffee consumption growth in Asia, home to about 60% of the world's population, has reached 4-5 times the global average. The annual consumption of coffee in China's end consumer market has already exceeded 200 billion yuan (approximately 4.72 trillion yen) and is expanding at a rate of about 20% annually, which is about 10 times the global average. Regarding this, Chairman Zhang indicated that the center and growth market of the global coffee industry are shifting to Asia, especially China.

In China, the supply of coffee beans mainly relies on imports. The sustained high growth of the coffee market is also backed by data from coffee bean exporting countries. Two years ago, China was the 7th largest importer in Ethiopia, the origin of Arabica coffee, but last year it rose to 3rd place, following Saudi Arabia and Germany. Ethiopia's coffee bean exports to China last year amounted to 47,836 tons, a 40% increase year-on-year, and the export value was 347 million dollars, a 58% increase year-on-year.

2026 Hainan International Coffee Expo
Meanwhile, Colombia, a major coffee bean producing region, also strongly feels the surge in the Chinese coffee market. Over the past four years, the value of China's imports of Colombian coffee beans has increased by approximately 105%, with import value reaching 160 million dollars in 2025.

For many years, the main route for overseas coffee to enter the Chinese market was concentrated in eastern regions such as Shanghai. However, with items like unroasted coffee being included in the "zero tariff" list for raw materials and auxiliary materials of the Hainan Free Trade Port, all customs duties, import value-added tax, and consumption tax are exempted when importing overseas coffee beans to Hainan Island. As a result, Hainan Province is increasingly attracting attention as a new hub for overseas coffee beans to enter the Chinese market. (Provided by/CGTN Japanese)