Ethiopian authorities have temporarily banned airline passengers from bringing domestically produced coffee out of the country, the Russian Embassy in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa announced on September 25 (local time). The Russian Embassy recommends that air passengers consider this information when planning their trips to avoid “unpleasant situations” at Ethiopian airports.
The Embassy informed in a statement: “In connection with the introduction of a new export ban by the Ethiopian customs authority, the export of Ethiopian coffee by air is temporarily prohibited in all forms and quantities. “.
The Russian Embassy did not detail the new coffee export ban or the reasons behind the ban. However, analysts warn that the decision could have a significant impact on the global coffee market and could cause coffee prices to skyrocket.
According to the International Coffee Organization headquartered in London (UK), Ethiopia is the largest producer of Arabica coffee among African countries and ranks 5th globally in coffee output after Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia. More than 25% of Ethiopians make a living from the coffee trade, which generates up to 30% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
According to the Ethiopian Tea and Coffee Authority (ECTA), the country exported 240,000 tons of coffee worth $1.34 billion to the international market in 2022. Ethiopia’s coffee exports amounted to 27,000 tons, worth 140 million USD in just August this year.
Ethiopia’s major coffee buyers are the US, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Belgium and the UAE. Since the beginning of the year, Ethiopia’s coffee export volume has increased by 18% compared to the same period in 2022.
