Duty and tariffs
Unroasted coffee has long entered the United States duty-free. During 2025 the US applied additional reciprocal tariffs to many countries' goods; coffee was among the agricultural products exempted from those tariffs by the November 2025 executive action, and Uganda was not among the countries assigned a country-specific reciprocal rate (InterAmerican Coffee, Fresh Cup tariff tracker, November 2025). Confirm the current position with your customs broker before contracting; we track it because it affects our buyers directly.
FDA requirements
Two steps apply to every green coffee shipment:
- Food facility registration. The exporter or the facility that prepares and ships the coffee must be registered with the US Food and Drug Administration and have a US agent. Ask your supplier for the registration number when you contract; we provide ours with the offer.
- Prior notice. Your customs broker files FDA prior notice for the shipment before it arrives — normally alongside the customs entry. The information comes from the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading.
Green coffee is not subject to routine FDA sampling beyond normal import checks, but shipments can be examined; clean, dry, well-documented coffee clears without incident.
Routing and transit
Most Uganda coffee for the US moves from Mombasa to East Coast ports — New York/New Jersey, Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston or Houston — in roughly 28–35 days, usually with one trans-shipment. West Coast delivery (Oakland, Los Angeles/Long Beach) takes longer and is often routed via Asian hubs; for West Coast roasters it can be cheaper to land on the East Coast and truck or rail across, or to buy from an importer's West Coast warehouse. Your freight forwarder will quote both.
Working with a US importer
Most US roasters buy Uganda coffee in bag quantities from importers who land containers, warehouse them under GCA-standard conditions and sell spot or forward. If you roast less than a container's worth of Uganda coffee a year, ask your importer to source a specific lot from us, or ask us to ship FOB Mombasa to their consolidation. Importers buying containers from us work on GCA contract rules, with the pre-shipment sample discipline described in For importers.
Samples
Evaluation samples of 300 g go by courier (DHL, FedEx or UPS) from Kampala and normally arrive within a week. Green coffee samples enter the US without formal entry when declared as trade samples of no commercial value; your courier account or ours can be used.
Which grades US buyers ask for
Screen 18 and washed or fine Robusta for espresso and cold-brew programmes, Screen 15 for commercial blends, and Bugisu AA and Rwenzori Arabica for single origins. Reported export volumes to the US are small compared with Europe (North America took about three percent of Uganda's exports in December 2025, MAAIF), so lots are usually bought against specific specialty demand.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a tariff on coffee from Uganda into the US?
Green coffee is duty-free, and coffee was exempted from the 2025 reciprocal tariffs in November 2025. Confirm the current position with your customs broker before contracting.
Do I need an FDA licence to import green coffee?
You do not need a licence, but the foreign shipper must hold FDA food facility registration and your broker must file FDA prior notice before the shipment arrives.
How long does shipping from Uganda to the US take?
Roughly 28–35 days from Mombasa to US East Coast ports, plus two to three days inland from Kampala to Mombasa and vessel waiting time. The West Coast takes longer via trans-shipment.
Can I buy less than a container?
Yes, through a US importer who consolidates or holds our coffee, or by sharing a container. We can ship FOB Mombasa to your importer.