The amount of coffee imported to Korea is expected to reach a record high this year amid burgeoning demand, according to statistics from the Korea Customs Service.
The agency said coffee ― including green beans and roasted beans ― imported during January to September this year weighed 99,372 tons. The figure was up 18.7 percent compared to the 83,693 tons in the same period last year. It surpasses the previous high of 92,040 tons recorded in 2011, the largest amount since 1990.
The value of the imported coffee for this year stood at about $382 million, up 21.2 percent on-year.
The agency attributed the increase to the nation’s growing coffee consumption, noting that franchise coffee shops have rapidly spread across Korea in recent years.
Korea imported the most coffee from Vietnam, followed by Brazil, Colombia, Honduras and Peru.
