Short answer: FOB means the seller pays for everything until the coffee is loaded on the ship at a Colombian port — milling, bags, inland transport, export quality control, documents and customs. From the ship’s rail onwards, freight, insurance and import costs are yours. Orders of 4 to 24 kg fly door to door by express courier instead, and arrive in about a week.
Incoterms in one table
Incoterms are the standard rules for who pays for what and where the risk passes from seller to buyer. These are the ones you will meet when buying green coffee.
| Term | Seller pays up to | Risk passes to buyer | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Coffee ready at the mill or warehouse | At the warehouse | Buyers with their own agent in Colombia |
| FCA | Coffee handed to the buyer’s carrier | At handover | Consolidated or LCL shipments |
| FOB | Coffee loaded on the ship at the Colombian port | On board, at origin | Most container contracts |
| CFR / CIF | Sea freight to your port (CIF adds insurance) | On board, at origin | Buyers who prefer one price to their port |
| DAP | Delivery to your address, before import duties | At destination | Courier and small air shipments |
Note that with CFR and CIF the seller pays freight, but the risk still passes at the Colombian port. That is why your own cargo insurance matters.
What a Colombian FOB price includes
- The coffee itself, milled, sorted and graded for export.
- Bags. Colombia’s standard export bag holds 70 kg. For specialty lots we recommend hermetic liners such as GrainPro inside the jute.
- Inland transport from the mill to the port.
- The coffee contribution that every exporter pays to the National Federation of Coffee Growers per pound exported.
- Export quality control. Colombian coffee must meet minimum quality rules set by the National Coffee Committee before it can leave the country.
- Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, ICO certificate of origin, quality certificate and, where the destination requires it, a phytosanitary certificate.
- Export customs and loading on board.
What FOB does not include: sea freight, insurance, destination port charges, import duties and taxes, customs clearance in your country and transport to your roastery.
Ports and transit times
Colombia ships coffee from both coasts:
- Buenaventura on the Pacific, the natural port for Asia and the west coast of the Americas.
- Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean, for the US East and Gulf coasts and Europe.
Typical port-to-port times by sea are roughly a week to the US Gulf and East Coast, about four weeks to northern Europe and four to five weeks to East Asia. Add one to two weeks for documents, container booking and port handling at origin, and time for clearance at destination. Routes and schedules change, so we confirm a date for each booking.
How much coffee fits in a container
A 20-foot container is limited by volume rather than weight and usually carries around 18–19 tonnes of green coffee — roughly 250–275 bags of 70 kg, depending on packing. Most specialty roasters do not need that much at once. The usual options below a full container:
| Volume | How it travels | Roughly how long |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 24 kg | Express air courier, door to door | About a week |
| From one pallet | Consolidated sea freight (LCL), sharing a container | Weeks |
| 18–19 tonnes | Full 20-foot container (FCL) | Weeks |
Paperwork on your side
Import rules differ by country. A few examples of what your customs broker may ask for: in the US, FDA registration and Prior Notice for food shipments, an Importer Security Filing and a customs bond; in many countries, the certificate of origin and a phytosanitary certificate. Tell us your port and we will arrange the Colombian documents your broker needs.
Payment terms
Our terms are simple: 50% on order, 50% after final quality control at the port. You pay the balance only once the lot has passed inspection, and we send you its position until it reaches your port.
If a shipment is delayed — and delays do happen at sea — you hear it from us first, with a new date.
A checklist before you sign
- Lot name, origin, process, harvest month and score.
- Quantity, bag type and liners.
- Incoterm and named port, for example “FOB Cartagena”.
- Approved pre-shipment sample for larger lots.
- Shipment window and who books the freight.
- Payment schedule and the documents you will receive.
If you are still choosing coffees, start with our guide to ordering green coffee samples, and see the Colombian harvest calendar to plan shipments around fresh crop.
Questions buyers ask
What does FOB mean for green coffee?
Free On Board: the seller covers all costs and risk until the coffee is loaded on the ship at the named Colombian port. Freight, insurance and import costs are paid by the buyer.
Which Colombian ports export coffee?
Mainly Buenaventura on the Pacific coast and Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast.
How many bags of Colombian coffee fit in a 20-foot container?
Around 250–275 bags of 70 kg, roughly 18–19 tonnes, depending on packing.
Can I buy less than a container?
Yes. Orders of 4 to 24 kg fly by express courier, and from one pallet you can ship by sea in a consolidated container.
What are your payment terms?
50% on order and 50% after final quality control at the port.
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