Frequently Asked Questions

Green coffee is a container business, so our working minimum is one 20-foot container, which holds around 300 bags of 60 kg, roughly 18 tonnes. A container can carry more than one grade when the lots are available together, for example AA with peaberry, and we confirm the split before contract.

Washed arabica graded AA (screen 18 and up), A (screen 17) and B (screen 16); peaberry (PB), separated by shape; natural arabica from the Southern Highlands; organic arabica from producer groups that hold their own certificate; and natural robusta from Kagera. Every offer states its grade, processing method, moisture and defect count.

Yes. We send 300 g to 1 kg of green coffee drawn from the lot on offer, so you can roast and cup the coffee that will actually ship rather than a showcase sample. The sample is normally free; the buyer covers the courier.

No. We sell unroasted green coffee only. Roasting belongs close to the drinker, where freshness can be controlled, not five weeks upstream at origin.

Our standard is a 30% deposit on contract and 70% against shipping documents. Larger contracts can run on an irrevocable letter of credit at sight from an acceptable bank, and established buyers can move to cash against documents. We do not offer open account to new buyers.

They are size bands, not flavour scores. Screen sizes are measured in 64ths of an inch: AA is retained on a screen 18 sieve (about 7.14 mm), A on screen 17 (about 6.75 mm) and B on screen 16 (about 6.35 mm). PB is peaberry, the round single-seed bean, separated by shape rather than screen. A bigger bean roasts more evenly, which is worth paying for, but it does not guarantee a better cup.

Screen retention against the declared grade, moisture (held at 10–12%) and a defect count on a graded sample, recorded against the lot number. Water activity, residue screening or an independent cupping can be added to the contract, and we arrange them with an accredited laboratory before shipment.

Most of our arabica is fully washed: pulped, fermented, washed and dried on raised beds, which gives the clean, bright profile Tanzanian coffee is known for. Natural arabica, dried in the cherry, comes from the Southern Highlands and is offered lot by lot. Kagera robusta is natural-processed.

Afri Exports does not hold those certifications itself. Some producer groups we buy from do, and for those lots we name the certificate holder and pass you its certificate reference to check with the certifier before you contract. We never present a producer's certificate as our own.

We work with producer groups to supply the plot geolocation and production data an EU operator needs for its due-diligence statement, agreed per contract. The EUDR applies from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and from 30 June 2027 for most micro and small operators; the statement itself is the importer's legal responsibility.

We quote FOB Dar es Salaam as standard, with CFR and CIF available on request. Samples travel by courier. Every quote names the port and the Incoterms 2020 rule it is built on.

In 60 kg jute or sisal bags, the Tanzanian export standard. A 20-foot container takes around 300 bags, about 18 tonnes. Hermetic liners inside the bags are available on request for high-value lots or long, humid voyages.

Commercial invoice, packing list with lot numbers, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate where the destination requires it, the lot's grading record and any contracted laboratory reports, and the bill of lading. The shipment also moves under the export permit the Tanzania Coffee Board issues for it.

Roughly 10 to 14 days to the Gulf, 14 to 21 days to India and 30 to 35 days to northern Europe. Japan and North America depend on the transshipment route, so we confirm the routing when the booking is made. Transit time is not lead time: allow for milling, bagging, booking cut-offs and customs as well.

Arabica is picked from around June to October, with the Southern Highlands usually starting before the north and late high-altitude pickings running on after. Kagera robusta is harvested from around May to August. The coffee then has to be processed, milled and sold, so new-crop lots reach buyers in the months after picking and are traded through most of the marketing year, which runs July to June.

Most coffee is sold by cooperatives and estates through Tanzania Coffee Board auctions, now run online as well as in Moshi. Qualifying producers can also sell directly to buyers under a board licence. Auction lots move on the auction calendar, while direct-export lots let a buyer build a relationship with one producer group, so the channel affects both timing and traceability.

According to the USDA, the European Union is by far the largest buyer of Tanzanian green coffee, followed by Japan, with the United States a growing market. We quote buyers in all three and elsewhere; send your destination port and your importer's document list so we can confirm routing and paperwork before contract.