Canonical: https://unicorncurrencies.com/industries/coffee-importers/

# Intelligence: Coffee Importers

## Pain Points

- FX volatility between contract and delivery (3-6 month gap)

- Demurrage costs on delayed containers ($150-300/day)

- Payment timing pressure from suppliers

- Thin margins (8-12%) vulnerable to FX swings

## Solutions (Unicorn Currencies)

- Lock FX rates when signing contracts (hedge 3-6 months)

- FREE container tracking prevents demurrage

- Real-time P/L tracking on open bills

- 0.5% spread vs 2-4% at banks saves £2.5k per £100k

## Payment Profile

- **Timing:** Letter of Credit (LC) at shipment or Net 30-60 days after container arrival

- **Settlement priority:** CRITICAL: Suppliers hold next shipment until payment clears. Delayed payment = supply chain disruption.

- **Invoice terms:** LC for orders $50k+ (Green Coffee), Net 30 for established relationships, 50% prepayment for new suppliers

- **FX risk:** HIGH: 3-6 month contract-to-delivery gap. BRL and VND volatility. 10% FX swing eliminates entire 8-12% profit margin.

- **Cash flow:** Seasonal harvest peaks (Oct-Mar Southern hemisphere, Apr-Sep Northern). Bi-weekly container arrivals during harvest, monthly off-season.

## Common Documentation

- Bill of Lading (ocean freight proof)

- Commercial Invoice with ICO standards

- Certificate of Origin (USDA/phytosanitary)

- Quality Report (cupping scores, defect count)

- Insurance Certificate (marine cargo)

## Global Network (Top Corridors)

- GBP → BRL: Brazil — Brazilian Arabica beans (35% of UK imports)

- GBP → VND: Vietnam — Vietnamese Robusta coffee (25% of UK imports)

- GBP → COP: Colombia — Colombian specialty single-origin beans

- GBP → ETB: Ethiopia — Ethiopian heirloom coffee beans