Colombia Coffee Exports Halted After Earthquake Blocks Main Port, Asoexport Says

Colombian coffee exports have been largely paused following an earthquake that disrupted critical infrastructure, blocking access to the nation's primary coffee export hub, according to the country's association of coffee exporters (Asoexport).

Port and Highway Access Severed

The main Pacific port of Buenaventura is effectively inaccessible due to multiple road blockages, particularly along the Cali-Buenaventura highway, a vital artery for trade. Gustavo Gomez, the head of Asoexport, confirmed the situation in an interview with Bloomberg.

"Coffee operations are currently paused. There may be some isolated operations, but at the moment the operation for exporting coffee has stopped," Gomez stated. He added that there is currently no official timeline for when the highway will be fully reopened.

Widespread Logistical Challenges

Ad

The disruption extends beyond highway access. Port terminal managers in Buenaventura are assessing damage and have either paused or restricted operations for receiving coffee. The situation is compounded by several factors:

• A severe shortage of trucks is complicating efforts to reroute shipments north to other ports.
• Operations at processing facilities within the coffee-growing region, near the affected area, have also been disrupted.
• While other ports in Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast have not reported major disruptions, the logistical hurdles of redirecting cargo are significant.

Market Context

Colombia is the world's largest producer of mild washed arabica coffee beans, a benchmark for quality often tracked by ICE Arabica Coffee futures (KC). Any prolonged halt in exports from a major supplier can tighten global supplies and create upward pressure on prices. The duration of the port and road closures will be a key factor for commodity traders and coffee buyers to monitor.