China Boosts Coffee Exports to Russia Nearly Twelvefold in Early 2025
China exported coffee worth $1.1 million to Russia in January and February of 2025, marking a nearly twelvefold increase compared to the same period last year, when shipments totaled just $91,700. This data was published by China’s General Administration of Customs and highlights a growing momentum in the coffee trade between the two countries.
Although China has long been associated with tea, the country is increasingly making a name for itself as a coffee producer. The southwestern province of Yunnan has become the center of Chinese coffee cultivation, with its high-altitude terrain producing Arabica beans known for their balanced body, mild acidity, and fruity notes. Improvements in quality and scaling of production have allowed China to expand its coffee exports and find growing demand in international markets.
In the first two months of 2025, China exported coffee to 36 countries. The leading destinations included the Netherlands ($8.9 million), Germany ($4.3 million), Japan ($2.9 million), France ($1.2 million), and Russia ($1.1 million). This positions Russia among China’s top five coffee export markets during the period, a notable shift considering its previously minor role in China’s coffee trade.
For the full year of 2024, Russia imported $13.6 million worth of coffee from China, a 6.3% increase compared to 2023. While Chinese coffee still represents a small portion of Russia’s overall coffee imports—traditionally dominated by Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia—the sharp growth reflects increasing interest from Russian roasters and importers seeking new origins and supply alternatives amid shifting geopolitical and logistical realities.
Meanwhile, China’s tea exports to Russia declined by 12.6% during January–February 2025, totaling $6.9 million, compared to $7.9 million in the same period a year earlier. However, for the full year 2024, tea imports from China to Russia reached $58.7 million, an increase of 8.3% year-over-year.
Globally, China exported tea to 98 countries during the first two months of 2025. Key importers included Morocco ($47.9 million), Ghana ($17.5 million), Senegal ($11.8 million), Mauritania ($9.5 million), and Malaysia ($15.7 million).
China’s rise as a coffee exporter, particularly to Russia, signals a deeper structural change in global coffee trade dynamics. Once seen solely as a tea powerhouse, China is now carving a niche in the specialty coffee segment. With improving quality and competitive pricing, Chinese coffee is increasingly being adopted by roasters looking to diversify their offerings with new flavor profiles and origins. If current trends continue, China may soon emerge as a stable and recognizable origin in Russia’s evolving coffee landscape.
