CHANGSHA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopia Coffee (China) Trading Center was officially inaugurated on Saturday in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, to leverage Ethiopia's advantages in coffee origin and promote the entry of its premium coffee into the Chinese market.
The launch was part of the first China-Ethiopia Coffee Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference held in the city. The conference highlighted the growing economic and trade ties between the two sides, with coffee serving as a central theme.
The conference brought together around 300 participants, including government officials, experts, organizational representatives and business leaders from both Ethiopia and Hunan Province.
Ethiopia, renowned as the birthplace of coffee and a major global supplier of high-quality beans, counts China as its fourth-largest coffee export market.
At the conference, Ethiopian Ambassador to China Tefera Derbew Yimam underscored this point in an interview with Xinhua. "We are witnessing very fast-growing coffee consumption in China. This is a very important market factor driving the increase of exports of our commodity," he said.
He highlighted the advantage of China's zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic ties, calling it a "green lane" that enhances competitiveness in the vast Chinese market. The ambassador also expressed hope for growing trade in high-tech products from China to Ethiopia.
As the permanent venue for the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, Hunan Province has been actively exploring new pathways and models for China-Africa collaboration. This commitment is matched by action at the city level as Zhuzhou City is leveraging its logistical strengths to develop trade and barter centers aimed at facilitating China-Africa commerce.
The conference also yielded concrete business outcomes. Several attending Ethiopian and Chinese enterprises signed cooperation agreements covering projects related to barter trade platforms, coffee and new energy. ■
