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Shipping coffee from Colombia to Ireland

  • 19-01-2012 1:42am
    #1
    shgavman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60 ✭✭


    I'm in Colombia at the moment. I'm considering exporting coffee back home for sale to cafés.

    Does anyone have any information on shipping companies between Colombia and Ireland?

    Barranquilla is the biggest port in Colombia so I'd figure it would be sent from there.

    Also, if no shipping companies go direct to Ireland, would I have to pay import duty to the countries that the goods pass through? Maybe this is a silly question.

    Anyway, thanks for any help.


Comments

  • #2
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,815 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    shgavman wrote: »
    I'm in Colombia at the moment. I'm considering exporting coffee back home for sale to cafés.

    Does anyone have any information on shipping companies between Colombia and Ireland?

    Loads of freight forwarders and handling agencies will quote you for this, either in Dublin or Columbia. If you are paying for it, you will probably be better to get one in Ireland. I'm sure one will pop up here or PM you with suggestions.
    Also, if no shipping companies go direct to Ireland, would I have to pay import duty to the countries that the goods pass through? Maybe this is a silly question.

    Long story but basically, no.

    I don't know the import/roasting end of the business at all, but you would need to understand the duty implications in the business (for example, if there are different rates for raw and roasted beans).

    Controlling the roast and the quality and so on is also a big thing.

    Trade marks like Fair Trade will also increasingly be an increasingly big thing.

    Selling coffee to restaurants is a difficult business to break into. It requires a significant investment in terms of marketing and possibly also customer service. I have seen a substantial medium-sized European roaster sent out of Ireland with their tails between their legs. They weren't prepared to make the investment necessary and they lost all their custom to larger, better organized and funded roaster.


  • #3
    The Guvnor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭The Guvnor


    I know a coffee company and they buy in and roast the beans etc. no idea where they buy from but it is either Irish or UK based the one thing I do know is that they get weekly price charts for the various beans - the pricing does fluctuate quite a bit.

    I also think as well a lot of co's like this make up blends to affect taste and price etc.


  • #4
    maxer68
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,076 ✭✭✭maxer68


    a lot of cafes will have equipment supplied for by the coffee companies. Many others will go for brand recognition such as Bewleys / Illy / Java Republic as it entices people in.

    I really don't think what you are looking at doing will work - importing from another country is as easy as pie (absolutely anyone can do it), getting the product to market is the difficult part.


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