At a glance

Coffee on the Move: Facts in a Nutshell

At a glance

Coffee on the Move: Facts in a Nutshell

 

 

 

18-21 

A container of Arabica coffee weighs between 18 and 21 tons.

0 %

of international green coffee is transported by ship.

Air freight is used for some specialty coffees and costs 5–10 times more.

A green coffee purchase can require up to

20 Documents

(Fortunately, only in exceptional cases! 😉)

A CONTAINER SHIP CAN CARRY

18,000 to 24,000

CONTAINERS, INCLUDING HUNDREDS FILLED WITH COFFEE.

6
bags
from Hawaii

In 2025, NKG sold three bags of coffee from France to the US and 6 from Hawaii to the US.

137
bags

sold to the Faroe Islands

a self-governing archipelago and part of the Kingdom of Denmark (54,719 inhabitants)

379
bags

sold to the Channel Islands

in the English Channel, Guernsey (63,950 inhabitants)

Following the Coffee: From Harvest to Europe
It takes 30 to 60 days from picking to export plus a transit time of 20 to 30 days.

≈ Day 0
since harvest
Harvest Export Arrival in Europe

Discover some of the
Major Coffee Ports Worldwide

In 2025, China imported a record volume of green coffee totaling

3.7m bags /
224,000 tons

mostly to serve its growing domestic market. Ethiopia accounted for a third of the total, with Brazil at 31% and Colombia and Vietnam each at 9%.

Header image: Adobe Firefly

Further Articles

Three by Three Questions: The many steps and challenges behind a single coffee trade

While “a coffee trade” may sound straightforward, it actually involves complex processes, numerous participants, and unique challenges. In this episode of our ‘Three Times Three Questions’ series, we interview key professionals from the import, logistics, and export sectors. Through their insights and real-life stories, we uncover how their contributions keep the coffee business running smoothly and highlight examples of overcoming obstacles through collaboration and teamwork.

Read More »

Quiz: Trade & Transport Challenge

In keeping with the MAG theme, we present the ‘Trade & Transport Challenge’. Do you know the most important wordings and definitions? The quiz probably won’t be much of a challenge for our trade professionals, but it’s still nice to get full marks, isn’t it?

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From Farm to Shipment: Where Coffee begins

Every cup of coffee starts with a story – and that story begins long before the beans reach a roastery or our cup. At NKG, we are all coffee experts in our own way: Some know exactly what coffee plants need to thrive, others master the numbers behind the business or know exactly which coffee is best for which customer, and some have excellent sensoric skills, make sure we are visible in the market or keep us legally compliant. There are countless roles along the coffee supply chain – and we have the expertise in all of them. Yet, most of us work within our own area of an increasingly complex business, and even after years at NKG, some parts of the supply chain remain blind spots.

Read More »

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