By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 2, 2026 — China’s Yunnan Province has proposed a partnership to process Ethiopian coffee in the province for sale in Chinese and international markets, seeking to combine demand for Ethiopia’s specialty beans with Yunnan’s processing capacity.
Li Yi, deputy director-general of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Commerce, presented the proposal at a conference promoting trade between Ethiopia and Yunnan in Addis Ababa on Sept. 1, according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).
Li said businesses in Yunnan have demand for high-quality Ethiopian green coffee beans, adding that Ethiopia’s growing conditions produce distinctive flavors that have helped establish the country as a source of specialty coffee.
She said Yunnan’s coffee-processing capacity and expanding market could provide opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Ethiopian officials, meanwhile, encouraged Chinese businesses to invest directly in coffee processing and value addition in Ethiopia rather than focusing solely on imports of green beans.
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“This is not simply an opportunity to export Ethiopian coffee; it is an opportunity to invest, process, innovate, and create value in Ethiopia,” Investment Deputy Commissioner Zinabu Yirga said.
Zinabu identified opportunities in coffee cultivation, modern processing, roasting, instant coffee production, capsule manufacturing and packaging. He said investment in those areas could support job creation, industrial development and technology transfer.
Liu Xiaoguang, counselor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy, said demand for premium coffee was growing in China. He said combining Ethiopian coffee with Yunnan’s processing capacity and commercial networks could provide a basis for expanded cooperation.
The conference brought together government officials, coffee exporters, industry representatives and Chinese business delegates to discuss trade and investment opportunities in the coffee sector.
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