S. Korea's coffee bean imports spike 13 pc in 2024

Seoul, Oct 8 (IANS) South Korea's imports of coffee beans jumped sharply from a year earlier in 2024, with imports this year widely expected to reach an all-time high, customs data showed on Wednesday.

Imports of coffee beans, including both raw and roasted products, came to $1.24 billion last year, up 13 per cent from $1.1 billion the previous year, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS), reports Yonhap news agency.

In terms of volume, imports gained 5.7 per cent on-year to 194,809 tons in 2024.

Brazil accounted for 21 per cent of the country's annual import value and 30 per cent of import volume.

Colombian and Vietnamese coffee ranked second and third, respectively, shipping 29,835 tons and 29,781 tons of coffee beans to South Korea last year.

Coffee imports are widely expected to reach a record high this year, with inbound shipments in the first eight months of the year already nearing the annual total of 2024.

Imports in the January-August period reached $1.17 billion, up 31 per cent from the same period last year, the data showed.

"If the current pace continues, this year's overall coffee imports are expected to surpass last year's total," a KCS official said.

In terms of volume, imports rose about 1 per cent on-year to 136,318 tons in the first eight months of 2025.

South Korea's coffee imports had been on a steady rise since 2018, hitting an all-time high of $1.3 billion in 2022, before slightly dipping to $1.1 billion in 2023.

Meanwhile, according to IndexBox report, Asia’s decaffeinated coffee market is expected to grow strongly, reaching 850,000 tons in volume and $4.7 billion in value by 2035.

India leads the market as both the biggest consumer (274,000 tons) and top producer, holding a 38 per cent share.

Most of the region’s decaf coffee -- about 90 per cent -- is unroasted, both in production and consumption.

--IANS

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