In brief
After a successful debut at last year’s China International Import Expo, AWO Coffee is returning to the event in Shanghai to broaden its market presence and secure new business partnerships. The company has doubled its China shipments in recent years and is planning a joint venture to further penetrate the Chinese market. Analysts note that China’s rapidly expanding coffee culture, especially among young consumers, presents significant prospects for Ethiopian coffee producers.
Ethiopian coffee exporter AWO Coffee announced its preparations to return to the 9th China International Import Expo in Shanghai after a successful first appearance the preceding year.
According to the company’s General Manager, Tesfaye Gebru, the 2025 participation “was a successful experience for us, achieving notable outcomes that exceeded our expectations.”
“Our participation at the CIIE last year was a successful experience for us. We achieved notable outcomes that exceeded our expectations,”
The company is hoping to use the next edition, scheduled for November 5‑10, to further promote its premium brand and establish additional business partnerships.
Kaleab Fekad, marketing manager of AWO Coffee, described the expo as “an important international trading platform connecting Ethiopian coffee producers and exporters with potential buyers and partners from China and around the world.”
“We decided to attend this year's expo for the second time because our experience last year was very successful,”
Fekad added that the 2026 event will allow AWO Coffee to broaden its market opportunities, noting the growing interest in coffee culture among China’s younger generations.
The 9th CIIE is set to host 162 countries, regions and international organizations, along with 4,142 overseas exhibiting companies, all occupying a total exhibition area projected to exceed 440,000 square metres for the first time.
Since its launch in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE aims to expand China’s opening‑up, turning its vast market into a shared opportunity for the world.
AWO Coffee reports that its raw coffee bean exports to China have grown rapidly, and it has expanded into processed and powdered coffee, increasing its shipment volume to the country in the last two years.
In line with its expansion strategy, the firm said it is planning a joint venture to deepen its penetrative reach in the Chinese market, although details of the partnership have not yet been disclosed.
Analysts highlight that China’s coffee market is experiencing swift growth, driven by burgeoning café culture among young consumers, providing a fertile environment for premium Ethiopian coffee brands.
AWO Coffee, whose name derives from the Amharic word for “Yes,” is among Ethiopia’s fastest‑growing coffee processors and exporters, supplying renowned coffee varieties to destinations worldwide.
