For buyers

Green Coffee Exporter

This page describes the export operation itself — the work between an approved sample and a container on a vessel. It is the part of the transaction buyers see least and depend on most.

Last reviewed August 20262 min read

Quick answer

An exporter’s job runs from lot selection at origin through milling, preparation, quality control, export documentation and container loading. The part that matters to a buyer is that it is done consistently and that the record of it is available afterwards.

What happens between approval and shipment

Buyer specification received
Origin and lot selection
Samples dispatched
Buyer cupping and approval
Contract issued
Milling to the approved preparation
Pre-shipment inspection
Export documentation
Container loading and shipment

Specification to shipment.

The export sequence

Step 1
Lot selection
Identifying parcels at station or mill level that can meet the specification, and confirming the crop supports it.
Step 2
Sampling and approval
Offer samples drawn and dispatched; buyer cups and approves; approved sample sealed and retained by both parties.
Step 3
Contract
Goods, quantity, price basis, delivery term, quality basis, shipment window and payment agreed.
Step 4
Milling and preparation
Hulling, screening, density separation and colour sorting to the contracted grade and screen.
Step 5
Pre-shipment QC
Sampling to the agreed method, physical analysis, cup evaluation against the approved sample.
Step 6
Inspection
Independent survey where the contract requires it.
Step 7
Documentation
Export declaration, certificate of origin and any conditional certificates applied for.
Step 8
Container loading
Container inspected, lined, stuffed under supervision; bag count, weights, seal number and photographs recorded.
Step 9
Shipment
Bill of lading issued; document set assembled and presented per the payment terms.

Where the work concentrates

Two stages absorb most of the effort and most of the risk, and they are the two a buyer should ask about specifically.

Milling and preparation: Getting from an approved sample to a full parcel at the same standard is a mechanical problem — screen settings, gravity table calibration, colour sorter passes — and it is where preparation quality is actually determined.
Loading: The last point at which anything can be verified. Container condition, lining, desiccant, stow pattern and the loading record are the difference between a clean arrival and a claim.

Export from six origins

Export routing and characteristics
Origin	Port	Notable
Tanzania	Dar es Salaam, Tanga	Domestic routing; auction system centred on Moshi alongside direct sales
Kenya	Mombasa	Auction at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange plus direct routes; factory and outturn identity
Uganda	Mombasa, Dar es Salaam	Landlocked; corridor choice affects transit and documentation
Rwanda	Mombasa, Dar es Salaam	Landlocked; long road leg on either corridor
Burundi	Dar es Salaam, Mombasa	Landlocked; long road leg on either corridor
Ethiopia	Djibouti	Landlocked; road transit from Addis Ababa is the main schedule variable

Export enquiries

Tell us the destination, term and required arrival window and we will work backwards to a realistic plan.

Request Current Crop Offer

Frequently asked questions

What does a green coffee exporter do?

Selects lots at origin, arranges sampling and approval, contracts, oversees milling and preparation to the contracted specification, runs pre-shipment quality control, prepares export documentation and supervises container loading.

Which ports do you export from?

Dar es Salaam and Tanga for Tanzania, Mombasa for Kenya and much Ugandan coffee, Djibouti for Ethiopia. Rwandan and Burundian coffee routes via either the Northern or Central Corridor depending on the shipment.

How long does preparation take after a contract is signed?

It depends on whether the parcel is already milled to the contracted specification. Re-screening or a tighter preparation adds mill time; a new separation adds more. Ask at the enquiry stage and it can be built into the shipment window.

Do you supervise container loading?

Yes. Bag count, weights, seal number and loading photographs are recorded on every shipment. It is inexpensive and it is the evidence base that resolves most arrival disputes.

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.