For buyers

Green Coffee for Importers

An importer is buying an operation as much as a coffee. This page covers what we do on the parts of the transaction that sit either side of the cupping table.

Last reviewed August 20262 min read

Quick answer

For importers, the questions that decide a supplier are documentation, verification and data — not the offer list. We ship FOB, CFR or CIF from Dar es Salaam, Mombasa and Djibouti, provide the full export document set, support independent pre-shipment survey and supply structured traceability data for due diligence.

What importers ask us first

Documentation: The full export set, with the list agreed in the contract — see shipping documents
Inspection: Pre-shipment QC on every lot; independent survey arranged where required
Traceability data: Lot identity, supply chain mapping and geolocation where a collection programme exists — see due diligence data
Incoterms: FOB, CFR and CIF; FCA where inland handover suits the routing
Ports: Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Djibouti, and Tanga where routing suits
Consistency: Programme contracts with a governing sample and per-shipment verification
Multi-origin: Six origins under one contracting relationship and one document standard

Multi-origin under one relationship

The practical argument for consolidating East African sourcing is administrative rather than commercial. Six origins means six sets of export procedures, six grading vocabularies, six harvest calendars and six documentation regimes. Handling them through one relationship means one contract format, one document standard and one QC report format.

It also means the harvest calendars can be used deliberately. Rwandan and Burundian coffee arrives when Kenyan and Ethiopian is ageing; Ugandan Robusta covers most of the year. See the crop calendar for the full picture.

Verification

1Pre-shipment sample drawn to an agreed sampling method from the milled parcel.
2Physical analysis — moisture, water activity, screen, defects, density on request — with methods stated.
3Cup evaluation against the approved sample, in multiple cups.
4Independent survey arranged where the contract or the payment terms require it.
5Loading supervision with bag count, weights, seal number and photographs recorded.

Origin and lot selection
Pre-shipment sample drawn
Physical analysis — moisture, water activity, density
Screen and defect count
Cupping against the approved sample
Preparation adjustment if required
Final pre-shipment sample
Loading supervision and seal record

The QC sequence on every lot.

What we will tell you plainly

Where the limits are

We will tell you when a specification cannot be filled from the current crop, when geolocation coverage for a supply base is partial, and when a shipment window is not realistic given inland transit. Those conversations at the enquiry stage are cheaper than the alternative.

Talk to us about a programme

Send your specification, volumes, destination and data requirements. We will come back origin by origin on what is realistic.

Request Current Crop Offer

Frequently asked questions

Which Incoterms do you ship on?

FOB as standard from Dar es Salaam, Mombasa and Djibouti, with CFR and CIF available on request. FCA is used where an inland handover suits the routing. See Incoterms for coffee.

Can you support independent pre-shipment survey?

Yes. We run our own QC on every lot and will arrange independent survey where the contract, the payment terms or your own policy requires it. The scope, sampling method and cost allocation should be in the contract.

What traceability data can you provide?

Lot identity and supply chain mapping across all six origins as standard, and plot geolocation where a collection programme exists for that supply base. We state what exists rather than implying uniform coverage — see due diligence data.

Can you consolidate multiple origins in one shipment?

Within the constraints of the routing — coffee has to be in the same place to share a container. Where origins share a corridor and port, consolidation is often workable. Ask with the specifics and we will tell you what is possible.

Tell us the coffee you need

Lots can be specified by origin, region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year and packaging. Send what you know and we will confirm what each origin realistically supports.