Americans Growing Appetite for Coffee Fed By Imports

(WASHINGTON, DC) Americans continue to demonstrate a high demand for coffee, one commodity the United States produces in short supply. The limited domestic production comes from Kona coffee grown in Hawaii and represents less than 1 percent of domestic consumption. The rest is imported from coffee-growing regions around the world, including South and Central America and Southeast Asia. By a large margin, Colombia and Brazil are the largest sources of imports. In 2017, imports of unroasted coffee from Colombia were valued at over $1.2 billion, with just under $1.1 billion worth of coffee imported from Brazil. Other key markets include Vietnam and Indonesia in Southeast Asia and Guatemala and Honduras in Central America. By value, these six countries represent 72 percent of all U.S. coffee imports. In all, 50 countries exported coffee valued at $1 million or more to the United States in 2017, with an additional 54 exporting lower-valued amounts.