SEOUL – South Korea’s coffee imports are expected to hit a new high this year, as coffee chains keep growing.
According to data released by the Korea Customs Service on October 21, the total amount of imported coffee that includes raw coffee bean and roasted coffee bean (excluding processed coffee such as instant coffee) reached 99,372 tons, surpassing the 92,040 tons over the same period in 2011. If the trend continues, this year’s coffee imports are likely to surpass the previous record of 121,855 tons set last year.
In terms of value, this is US$382 million, up 21.2 percent from the same period last year ($315.2 million).
By country of origin, Vietnam took the largest portion of 23,686 tons (23.8%), followed by Brazil (17.7%, 17,566 tons), Colombia (14.1%, 14,043 tons), Honduras (9.3%, 9,219 tons), and Peru (6.8%, 6,782 tons).
SOUTH KOREA – Coffee imports set to reach new highs
