Coffee
Coffee is the seed of the fruit of the Coffea shrub, dried and traded green for roasting. Two species carry the world trade: arabica (Coffea arabica), grown at altitude and used for filter, espresso and single origin roasting, and robusta (Coffea canephora), grown lower, harder in the cup and higher in caffeine, used for soluble coffee and to build body and crema in espresso blends. Green coffee ships in 60 or 69 kg jute bags and in bulk liners, and is bought by roasters, soluble manufacturers and extract producers. Beyond the roasted drink it feeds instant coffee, ready to drink and cold brew concentrate, coffee extract for flavouring and confectionery, and caffeine recovered from decaffeination.
Listed coffee markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Green coffee is graded on physical measurement, not opinion. Four things are measured on a drawn sample: the size of the bean over calibrated sieves, the count of defective beans and foreign matter in a 300 g sample, the moisture held in the bean, and the botanical species. A contract that names a grade without naming the sample size and the sieve set is not a specification.
Sieve size
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Screen 208.00 mm | Retained on a 8.00 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 197.50 mm | Retained on a 7.50 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 187.10 mm | Retained on a 7.10 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 176.70 mm | Retained on a 6.70 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 166.30 mm | Retained on a 6.30 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 156.00 mm | Retained on a 6.00 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 145.60 mm | Retained on a 5.60 mm round aperture sieve. |
| Screen 125.00 mm | Retained on a 5.00 mm round aperture sieve. |
| PeaberryOblong sieve | A single round seed rather than a pair of flat halves. Sized on oblong apertures from 3.00 x 20.0 mm to 5.60 x 30.0 mm and separated into its own lot. |
Size class
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| AAScreen 17 to 18 | Passes 7.10 mm, retained on 6.70 mm. Contracts commonly allow up to 5 percent outside the stated screen. |
| ABScreen 15 to 16 | Passes 6.70 mm, retained on 6.00 mm. The bulk of most washed crops by volume. |
| PBPeaberry | The peaberry fraction lifted out and sold separately, screen 15 and up on oblong apertures. |
| CBelow screen 15 | Smaller beans separated from the AB fraction. |
| TTLight density | Low density beans lifted off the AA and AB fractions on a gravity table. |
| TFines | Chips, broken and light fragments. The bottom of the mill. |
Defect count
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| NY 24 full defects | Maximum 4 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
| NY 2/38 full defects | Maximum 8 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
| NY 312 full defects | Maximum 12 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
| NY 3/419 full defects | Maximum 19 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
| NY 426 full defects | Maximum 26 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
| NY 4/536 full defects | Maximum 36 full defect equivalents per 300 g. |
Full defect equivalents
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1 = 1Black bean | One black bean counts as one full defect. A sour or stinker bean and a dried cherry each also count as one, as does a small stone or stick. |
| 2 = 1Floater | Two floaters count as one full defect. |
| 3 = 1Shell | Three shells count as one full defect. |
| 5 = 1Green, broken, insect damaged, malformed | Five of any of these count as one full defect. |
| 1 = 2Medium stone or stick | One medium stone or stick counts as two full defects. |
| 1 = 5Large stone or stick | One large stone or stick counts as five full defects. |
Moisture
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| 9 to 13 percentCommercial range | The band green coffee is contracted and shipped in. |
| 11 to 12.5 percentTarget | Where most roaster contracts sit. |
| Above 13 percentRejection risk | Mould and fermentation risk in transit. Normally a rejection or a claim. |
| Below 9 percentOver dried | Brittle beans, breakage in the mill and lost weight. |
Species
2 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| ArabicaCoffea arabica | Flat oval bean with a curved centre cut, grown at altitude, lower caffeine. |
| RobustaCoffea canephora | Rounder bean with a straight centre cut, grown low, roughly double the caffeine. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | South America | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Colombia | South America | Origin |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Ethiopia | East Africa | Origin and destination |
| Uganda | East Africa | Origin |
| India | South Asia | Origin |
| Honduras | Central America | Origin |
| Peru | South America | Origin |
| Mexico | Central America | Origin |
| Guatemala | Central America | Origin |
| Nicaragua | Central America | Origin |
| Costa Rica | Central America | Origin |
| Kenya | East Africa | Origin |
| Tanzania | East Africa | Origin |
| Rwanda | East Africa | Origin |
| Burundi | East Africa | Origin |
| Ivory Coast | West Africa | Origin |
| Papua New Guinea | Oceania | Origin |
| Laos | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Russia | Europe | Destination |
| Turkey | Middle East | Destination |
| Algeria | North Africa | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the cherry is picked at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is dry milling, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Jan, arrival Apr to MayFly crop picked May to Jun, arriving Aug to Oct. | |||||||
| Ethiopia | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Oct to Jan, arrival Mar to May | |||||
| Rwanda | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Jul, arrival Oct to Jan | |||
| Burundi | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Jul, arrival Oct to Jan | |||
| Uganda | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to MarRobusta runs a wider Sep to Apr window. | |||||||
| Papua New Guinea | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest May to Aug, arrival Dec to JanFly crop picked Jan to Mar, arriving May. | ||||||
| Brazil | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Oct to Feb | ||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Oct to Feb, arrival Apr to JunRobusta main crop. | ||||
| Colombia | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Sep to Jan, arrival Jan to MarMitaca picked Apr to Jun, arriving Aug to Sep. Cycles invert in the south. | |||||
| Indonesia | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Dec to JanSumatran arabica runs Feb to May. | |||||
| Honduras | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Jul to Sep | ||||
| Peru | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Nov to Jan | ||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Feb, arrival May to May | |||||||
| Mexico | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival May to Jul |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for coffee. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0901.11 Coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated
0901.12 Coffee, not roasted, decaffeinated
0901.21 Coffee, roasted, not decaffeinated - PackingTea in foil lined paper sacks, plywood chests or corrugated cartons of 20 kg to 60 kg. Green coffee in 60 kg or 69 kg jute bags, or 1 t bulk container liners with GrainPro or equivalent barrier for specialty lots. Cocoa in 62.5 kg or 65 kg jute bags.
- Container loading20ft: 18 t to 21 t bagged. 40ft: 24 t to 26 t with a bulk liner. Coffee and cocoa are weight limited, tea is volume limited.
- Contract and arbitrationCoffee on the European Coffee Contract or GCA terms with ICE Futures US as the price reference, arbitration under ECF or GCA rules. Cocoa on Federation of Cocoa Commerce or CMAA contracts with FCC arbitration in London. Tea on the rules of the selling auction centre or on the terms of the importing association.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, where anthraquinone and glyphosate are the recurring tea failures. Ochratoxin A and aflatoxin limits and cadmium limits on cocoa under Regulation 2023/915. EUDR (Regulation 2023/1115) due diligence with plot geolocation applies to cocoa and coffee. US FDA import alerts apply to pesticide residues and to mould.
Common questions
What grades of coffee does SIP Global trade?
We quote 33 published grades of coffee, including Screen 20 - 8.00 mm, Screen 19 - 7.50 mm, Screen 18 - 7.10 mm, Screen 17 - 6.70 mm, Screen 16 - 6.30 mm and Screen 15 - 6.00 mm. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is coffee graded?
Green coffee is graded on physical measurement, not opinion. Four things are measured on a drawn sample: the size of the bean over calibrated sieves, the count of defective beans and foreign matter in a 300 g sample, the moisture held in the bean, and the botanical species. A contract that names a grade without naming the sample size and the sieve set is not a specification. Grading runs on 6 systems: Sieve size, Size class, Defect count, Full defect equivalents, Moisture and Species.
Where does SIP Global trade coffee?
We trade coffee in Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Uganda, India and Honduras and 28 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is coffee harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Kenya: harvest nov to jan, arrival apr to may; Ethiopia: harvest oct to jan, arrival mar to may; Rwanda: harvest mar to jul, arrival oct to jan; Burundi: harvest mar to jul, arrival oct to jan; Uganda: harvest nov to mar. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for coffee?
Coffee is normally classified under HS 0901.11 (coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated), HS 0901.12 (coffee, not roasted, decaffeinated) and HS 0901.21 (coffee, roasted, not decaffeinated). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for coffee?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 6 listed coffee markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.