Yunnan's Honghe brews global coffee trade ambitions

A list highlighting the comparative advantages of the coffee industry chain of Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province was unveiled during the ongoing fourth China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, which runs from Monday to Friday.

Themed "Connecting the World for a Shared Future", the expo has drawn 676 companies and institutions from 85 countries, regions and international organizations. It serves as an efficient platform that connects companies of all sizes from upstream to downstream segments of global industries.

Zhao Ruijun, Party secretary of Honghe prefecture, introduced the region's coffee industry at the launch event. He described Honghe as an ideal home for specialty coffee, thanks to its diverse vertical climate zones and favorable temperatures, which provide outstanding natural conditions for cultivation.

He said the prefecture is eager to work with global partners to open a new chapter in coffee industry development by jointly building large-scale demonstration plantations and creating a distinctive coffee brand system.

Zhao also highlighted Honghe's strategic position as a gateway connecting China with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, giving it strong geographical advantages.

At the event, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade unveiled Honghe prefecture's comparative advantages in coffee deep processing, trade and distribution.

The prefecture borders Vietnam, a major global exporter and core robusta coffee-producing country, alongside key Arabica-growing regions in Yunnan such as Pu'er, Baoshan and Lincang. This dual-channel supply secures ample and stable raw materials for the prefecture's coffee deep-processing industry.

Its strategic location and well-developed transport network, including highways and railways, enable efficient distribution of processed coffee products to domestic and overseas markets.

As more premium coffee processors establish operations in Honghe, expanding production capacity is generating significant cost advantages.

The prefecture has established a cross-border warehousing system that includes bonded cold storage facilities, forming an integrated model of "warehousing at ports, processing in industrial parks, and nationwide distribution".

Supported by national-level ports and local opening-up policies, the prefecture continues to improve the efficiency of cross-border coffee trade while lowering import costs.