Agriculture & food
Indonesian coffee
Indonesia exports green coffee in two species. Arabica grows in the highlands of Sumatra, Sulawesi, Bali and Flores, and most of it is wet-hulled by the local giling basah method. Robusta comes mainly from southern Sumatra and Java. Both leave the country as green beans in 60 kg jute bags.
How it leaves the country.
- Green beans
- Almost all of it ships green. Roasted coffee is a separate trade with a shorter shelf life and its own labelling rules on arrival.
- Species
- Arabica grows high and robusta lower down. They have different buyers and different contracts, and they rarely travel in the same shipment.
- Processing
- Most Sumatran arabica is wet-hulled. Giling basah is its own method, and it gives the coffee the low acidity and heavy body Sumatra is known for.
How it is graded.
Indonesian green coffee is graded against the national standard. A contract names that grade alongside screen size, moisture and cup score, so ask for all four. A grade on its own does not describe a lot.
How it is packed.
- Bag
- 60 kg jute, the unit the trade counts and prices in2
- Liner
- Specialty lots usually carry a barrier liner inside the jute bag, which is what holds the moisture steady on the way across the equator
Where it grows.
Gayo
Aceh, Sumatra
Highland arabica grown by smallholder cooperatives and wet-hulled.
Mandheling
North Sumatra
The name the trade knows Sumatran arabica by, after the Mandailing people.
Toraja
South Sulawesi
Highland arabica with a Japanese buyer base that goes back further than most Indonesian origins.
Kintamani
Bali
Arabica grown alongside citrus on volcanic soil, and usually washed instead of wet-hulled.
Bajawa
Flores
Arabica from volcanic highlands. A younger export origin than Sumatra.
Ijen
East Java
Estate arabica on the Ijen plateau, some of the oldest planted coffee land in the country.
Choosing between this and something else.
Origins with a protected name.
Names the trade contracts on, most of them on the Indonesian register of geographical indications.
Documentation, where applicable.
- EUDR due diligence statement
- For the EU only. Coffee is in scope, so the importer files a statement in TRACES NT with the geolocation of the plots the lot came from. Large operators from 30 December 2026, small and medium from 30 June 2027.3
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Issued by the Indonesian plant quarantine authority against the plant health requirements of the destination country.
- Certificate of origin
- Which form applies depends on the destination and on the preference scheme in force between it and Indonesia.
- Certificate of analysis
- Laboratory report on the lot that shipped: moisture, defects, and anything else the contract names.
Questions buyers ask.
Does Indonesian coffee need EUDR paperwork?
For the European Union, yes. Coffee is one of the seven commodities the regulation covers, so the lot has to be traceable to the plots it grew on and the importer files a due diligence statement in TRACES NT. The obligation starts on 30 December 2026 for large operators and on 30 June 2027 for small and medium ones.
What is giling basah?
Wet-hulling. The parchment comes off while the bean is still wet, instead of after it has dried down. Sumatra works this way because the climate there will not allow a long dry, and it is why the coffee tastes as it does.
What should a first order specify?
Origin, species, grade, screen size, moisture ceiling, processing method, quantity and destination port. Once we have those we can approach producers. Anything quoted before that is guesswork.
What does your service cost?
Five per cent of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory. A factory audit starts at $250 depending on location. We work with orders from $10,000 per shipment.
Tell us what you need.
Give us the specification and the destination port. We come back with producer options and an indicative price. Our fee is 5 % of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory.
Sources
- 1Indonesian National Standards (SNI). Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Republic of Indonesia. Checked 3 August 2026.
- 2Coffee market data and trade statistics. International Coffee Organization. Checked 3 August 2026.
- 3Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR). European Commission. Checked 3 August 2026.