In a significant development for Sino-African trade relations, Ethiopia has inaugurated a specialized coffee trading center in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, on December 27, 2025. The facility serves as a comprehensive platform for product exhibition, commercial transactions, and cultural promotion, strategically designed to enhance Ethiopian coffee’s penetration into the Chinese consumer market.
The unveiling ceremony occurred during the China-Ethiopia Coffee Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, which gathered approximately 300 participants including government officials, industry experts, organizational delegates, and business executives from both nations. Ethiopia, globally acknowledged as coffee’s geographical origin and a premier producer of premium beans, has identified China as its fourth-largest export market. Official Ethiopian data reveals substantial trade volumes, with 16,300 metric tons valued at $113 million exported to China within the past five months alone.
Hu Xusheng, Vice-Chairman of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee, emphasized the province’s role as permanent host of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in fostering robust cooperative platforms. “This conference represents a concrete implementation of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation outcomes and a strengthened commitment to bilateral economic collaboration,” Hu stated during his address.
Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Director-General Adugna Debela Bote highlighted the center’s strategic advantages, noting how leveraging Zhuzhou’s Cross-Border E-Commerce Pilot Zones would establish direct sales channels, improve market efficiency, and enhance accessibility. Bote particularly stressed the importance of cultural immersion, explaining that authentic Ethiopian coffee experiences in Zhuzhou’s commercial districts would cultivate dedicated consumer loyalty in ways traditional advertising cannot achieve.
The conference also facilitated the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements between Ethiopian and Chinese enterprises, covering innovative barter trade platforms, coffee industry development, and new energy projects.