BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China will allow eligible coffee beans from all 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China to enter its market starting July 20, 2026, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) has announced.
Coffee beans, a signature agricultural produce and pillar economic industry for many African countries, are the second type of African agricultural products to obtain full quarantine access to the Chinese market following dried chilies, according to the GAC.
African countries including Ethiopia and Burundi have already secured access for their coffee bean exports to China, while some other countries, including Mauritius, Angola, Togo, Guinea, Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe, have filed export applications, official data showed.
Following a holistic assessment of African coffee bean production systems and pest risk control frameworks, the GAC has rolled out unified phytosanitary requirements, eliminating the previous practice of negotiating separate bilateral quarantine agreements with each applicant country and substantially streamlining access procedures.
Industry insiders noted that full quarantine access does not mean exemption from border checks, as all shipments must comply with requirements stipulated in GAC Announcement No. 68 of 2026.
The GAC official added that it will continue to implement upgraded "green channel" facilitation measures to bring more high-quality, safe African agricultural and food products to the Chinese market. ■
