Ample room for Vietnamese coffee in Algerian market: Trade Counsellor

Harvesting coffee in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk. — VNA/VNS Photo

ALGIERS — There is ample room for Vietnamese coffee in the Algerian market because importers and consumers in the African country favour the coffee’s quality and taste, said Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Algeria Hoàng Đức Nhuận.

Nhuận said Algeria is now among the top 10 importers of Việt Nam’s raw coffee. Vietnamese coffee accounts for 30-50 per cent of Algeria’s total coffee import. For several years, coffee has also been Việt Nam’s biggest export item to Algeria, making up over 60 per cent of Việt Nam’s total export revenue from this market.

In the first ten months of this year, Việt Nam shipped 52,174 tonnes of coffee to Algeria, earning US$116 million, up 52 per cent in volume and 67 per cent in value year-on-year. This year’s export turnover is estimated at $125 million, marking a 47 per cent increase from 2022.

According to the trade counsellor, Vietnamese raw coffee also has the potential to expand its market share in other African countries, especially those in North Africa such as Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, which want to import raw coffee and green coffee beans for roasting and processing to meet the taste of local consumers, increase added value while generating more jobs for the local population.

He suggested that Vietnamese coffee exporters actively participate in trade promotion activities such as international fairs and exhibitions, online and offline trade conferences, and get help from the Vietnamese trade offices in North African countries to seek partners and importers for the upcoming harvest season.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks of Algerian people but the country does not cultivate the tree so it imports 100 per cent of coffee needs.

With a population of over 46 million people, Algeria imports roughly 130,000 tonnes of various types of coffee beans each year, with a value of around $300 million. Robusta constitutes over 85 per cent of Algeria’s total coffee import while the rest is Arabica. — VNS