ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's total coffee export earnings surged 15 percent year-on-year to over 878 million U.S. dollars during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, bolstered by a record more than 100 million U.S. dollars in revenue from exports to China, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) has announced.
ECTA, in a press statement issued late Saturday, disclosed that the country generated 103 million dollars from the export of 15,125 tonnes of coffee to the Chinese market during the first three months of the current 2026/27 Ethiopian fiscal year, which began on July 8.
ECTA data revealed that the Chinese market accounted for roughly 12 percent of the East African country's total coffee export earnings and volume during the reporting period.
As China increasingly becomes a key destination for Ethiopia's coffee exports, the country currently ranks as the third-largest destination for Ethiopia's coffee exports, next to Saudi Arabia and Germany, according to the authority.
Overall, Ethiopia shipped in excess of 131,069 tonnes of coffee to the international market during the first quarter, generating a record 878.5 million dollars, marking a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last fiscal year, according to ECTA.
Although performance showed solid growth, the authority noted that the achievement fell slightly short of the reporting period's projected target.
Widely regarded as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, Ethiopia is one of Africa's leading coffee producers and exporters. The country's coffee is internationally renowned for its quality and diverse flavor profiles, ranging from wine-like and fruity to chocolatey.
The coffee sector remains a major pillar and backbone of the East African nation's agriculture-based economy. ■
