Importing green coffee to Australia from Indonesia is straightforward on paper: coffee enters duty-free, and there is no import permit for standard green beans. The details that decide your landed cost and your risk are the Incoterm you buy on, the biosecurity paperwork your supplier prepares, and the minimum order quantity you can commit to on green coffee beans. This guide covers all three, plus the tariff position, GST treatment, and a worked landed-cost example, written from our side of the transaction as a direct exporter shipping FOB Belawan.
Last updated: July 2026
Is There a Tariff on Green Coffee Imported to Australia?
There is no tariff on green coffee imported to Australia. Under the Australian tariff, coffee sits in HS heading 0901, and unroasted coffee (subheadings 0901.11 and 0901.12) carries a 0% general (MFN) rate. That duty-free position applies to any origin, so Indonesian green beans enter on the same footing as Brazilian or Colombian ones. The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), in force since 5 July 2020, reinforces the zero rate but does not lower it further, because the base rate is already nil.
Tax treatment is just as clean. Green coffee beans are an unroasted, unground food, so they are GST-exempt in Australia. You pay the 10% Goods and Services Tax only once the product becomes taxable, for example, hot coffee sold ready to drink. For a green coffee importer, that means no duty and no GST on the beans themselves.
What you do pay are the handling charges that sit outside the tariff: customs brokerage, biosecurity inspection fees, port and terminal charges, and freight. For any consignment valued above AUD 1,000, you must lodge a formal Import Declaration with the Australian Border Force (ABF), which most buyers handle through a licensed customs broker.
Biosecurity and Documents You Need
Biosecurity, not tariffs, is where Australian coffee imports actually get held up. Green coffee is assessed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) under the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON). Standard green beans, meaning coffee seed with the fruit pulp and seed coat removed, are treated as low risk and do not require an import permit. The important exception is Kopi Luwak, which can require an import permit because of how it is produced, so confirm the condition for your specific product before shipping.
To clear a green coffee consignment, the beans must arrive free of fruit pulp, free of soil, seeds, and plant debris, and packed in clean, new packaging. Straw and second-hand packaging (old fruit or vegetable cartons) are prohibited because they carry pest risk. Every ISC export is prepared to meet these conditions before the container is sealed.
The documents that travel with the shipment are the same set experienced importers expect:
- Phytosanitary certificate issued by the Indonesian plant quarantine authority
- Certificate of Origin (Form IA-CEPA, where you claim preferential origin)
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of Lading or Air Waybill
- Packing declaration for timber pallets
Australian labeling law also requires a trade description and country-of-origin marking under the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act. Not sure which documents your order needs? Check our current pricing and talk to us before you commit: ISC wholesale pricelist.
FOB vs CIF: Which Incoterm Should You Buy On?
FOB and CIF are the two Incoterms that dominate the green coffee trade, and the choice changes who controls the shipment and where your cost stops being fixed. Both are quoted per kilogram in USD.
FOB (Free On Board) means the price covers the beans loaded onto the vessel at the origin port, in our case Belawan in North Sumatra. From that point, ocean freight, marine insurance, and Australian clearance are yours to arrange. CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) means the supplier arranges and pays for ocean freight and insurance through to your nominated Australian port, so you receive a single landed-to-port figure.
| Factor | FOB Belawan | CIF (e.g. Sydney) |
|---|---|---|
| Freight arranged by | Buyer | Supplier |
| Marine insurance | Buyer | Supplier (included) |
| Cost transparency | Line-by-line, the buyer controls | Bundled into one price |
| Best for | Buyers with a freight forwarder | Newer buyers wanting turnkey delivery |
| Cost at destination port | Not included | Included in the port, before clearance |
Neither Incoterm covers Australian duty (there is none), biosecurity inspection, nor delivery from port to your door. Experienced roasters and importers with a forwarder usually prefer FOB Belawan for the control and the sharper freight rates. Buyers placing a first order, or without a logistics partner, often start on CIF and move to FOB once volumes justify it. ISC ships FOB Belawan by default and quotes CIF to your port on request.
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) for Green Coffee
Minimum order quantity is the other variable that shapes your per-kilogram economics. Smaller orders cost more per kilogram because fixed logistics costs are spread across fewer beans. ISC works in four tiers so buyers can scale from evaluation to container:
| Tier | Quantity | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | 1 kg | Cupping and quality evaluation |
| Microlot | 60 kg | Small roasters, single-origin trials |
| Wholesale | 350 kg | Established roasteries, regular supply |
| Container | 9 MT and above | Importers and distributors, custom per-MT quote |
For Australian buyers, the practical decision is whether to ship a full container load (FCL) or a less-than-container load (LCL). A 9 MT-plus FCL gives the lowest freight cost per kilogram and suits importers stocking multiple origins. A 60 kg or 350 kg order moves as LCL or air freight, which is faster to start but higher per kilogram. Ordering a 1 kg sample first is the low-risk way to confirm a lot of cups the way you need, before committing to a wholesale or container volume.
What It Costs to Land Indonesian Green Coffee in Australia
Landed cost is your FOB price plus freight, insurance, and clearance, with no duty or GST on the beans to add. As a worked example, our Grade 1 Gayo Arabica green coffee beans (semi-washed, wet-hulled) sit around $7.50 per kg FOB Belawan. Sea freight and marine insurance to an eastern Australian port such as Sydney or Melbourne typically add roughly $0.60 to $0.90 per kg on a full container, less per kilogram at container scale, and more for LCL.
That puts an indicative landed-to-port cost near $8.10 to $8.40 per kg before brokerage and biosecurity inspection fees, which are charged per consignment rather than per kilogram. Because there is no tariff and no GST on green beans, your Australian import overhead is unusually low compared with dutiable goods. Freight is the number that moves, so lock your Incoterm and container decision early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a tariff on importing green coffee to Australia?
No. Green coffee sits in HS heading 0901 and carries a 0% general tariff rate in Australia, so it enters duty-free from any origin, including Indonesia. IA-CEPA confirms the zero rate. Unroasted coffee beans are also GST-exempt, so you pay no import duty and no GST on the beans.
Do I need an import permit for green coffee from Indonesia?
Standard green coffee beans, with the fruit pulp and seed coat removed, do not require an Australian import permit because they are low biosecurity risk. They must still meet BICON conditions. Kopi Luwak is an exception and may require an import permit, so confirm your product’s condition before shipping.
What is the difference between FOB and CIF for coffee?
FOB (Free On Board) means the price covers beans loaded onto the vessel at the origin port, and the buyer arranges freight and insurance. CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) means the supplier pays ocean freight and marine insurance to your destination port. FOB gives more control; CIF is simpler for newer buyers.
What is the minimum order for green coffee from Indonesia?
ISC offers four tiers: a 1 kg sample for cupping, a 60 kg microlot, a 350 kg standard wholesale order, and container loads from 9 MT with a custom per-MT quote. Smaller orders cost more per kilogram because fixed logistics costs are spread across fewer beans.
How much does it cost to import Indonesian coffee to Australia?
Grade 1 Gayo Arabica runs around $7.50 per kg FOB Belawan, with sea freight and insurance adding roughly $0.60 to $0.90 per kg to an eastern Australian port. With no tariff and no GST on green beans, landed-to-port cost is near $8.10 to $8.40 per kg before brokerage.
Order Indonesian Green Coffee from Indonesia Specialty Coffee
Indonesia Specialty Coffee is a direct exporter of specialty-grade green beans from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Bali, Flores, and Java, with Grade 1 lots cupping at 82 to 88 SCA points and shipped FOB Belawan. Every consignment is prepared to Australian BICON conditions, with the phytosanitary certificate and IA-CEPA Certificate of Origin handled at origin.
We supply Australian roasters, importers, and distributors across all four order tiers: 1 kg samples, 60 kg microlots, 350 kg standard wholesale, and container loads from 9 MT with free worldwide shipping on bulk orders. View current pricing on our ISC wholesale pricelist or contact our team for an FOB Belawan or CIF-to-port quote. Sample orders are available so you can cup before you commit.
