CreatripTeam

South Korea's coffee bean import value is set to top 2 trillion won for the first time this year as global arabica prices surge. Through Q3, imports reached $1.3278 billion—46% higher than last year—despite only a small increase in import volume. Arabica futures rose over 50% year-on-year on average this month, driven by climate-related crop losses in major producers like Brazil and Vietnam, rising demand in Asia, and a shift from robusta to higher-priced arabica. Currency moves and higher logistics costs add pressure. Major Korean coffee chains and instant coffee makers have already raised menu prices, and consumer prices for coffee climbed 15.6% year-on-year. Industry analysts warn further price hikes toward year-end are possible, as bean price shocks typically reach retail in 8–11 months and companies keep several months of inventory. Consumer groups argue beans are a small share of a cup's cost (about 4–13%), questioning the fairness of passing all increases to customers. (arabica: a premium coffee bean variety)