Is direct trade coffee cheaper?

The origin price can be lower than an importer's price, but once you add finance, freight, insurance, clearance, storage and the risk of a poor lot, the landed cost is often similar. The benefits are control and relationship.

What is an importer of record?

The party responsible for the customs import declaration and duties. For green coffee into the UK the duty is zero, but the declaration and its responsibilities still apply.

Buying through an importer or direct from origin

Direct trade is a relationship with real costs: you take on finance, logistics, customs and quality risk that an importer would otherwise carry. How to decide which coffees to buy which way.

7 min read Updated 9 October 2026

Importers do much more than resell sacks. They select and cup lots at origin, pre-finance shipments, book freight, clear customs, store coffee, offer samples and handle quality claims. Buying direct means doing, or paying someone else to do, each of those jobs.

What each route involves

Job	Through an importer	Direct from origin
Finding and cupping lots	Importer's buyers at origin; you choose from offers	You travel, or rely on the exporter's samples
Finance	Importer pays the exporter; you pay on delivery or on terms	You pay before shipment or against documents, months before roasting
Volume	From one bag	Usually a pallet to a container, unless you share
Logistics and customs	Done for you	You appoint a forwarder and customs agent
Quality claim	Importer resolves it	You claim against the exporter, often across borders
Price per kg	Includes the importer's costs and margin	Lower at origin, but add your own costs
Traceability and story	Good with specialty importers	Strongest when you know the producer

A middle route: shared containers and origin partners

Some roasteries buy direct together, sharing a container and an importer of record who handles the import and storage for a fee. Others work with an importer that offers named, traceable lots and passes more of the price to the producer. These give much of the relationship with less of the risk.

When direct makes sense

You need enough of one coffee to fill a meaningful share of a container
You can pay for coffee months before you roast it
You or a trusted partner can cup and approve at origin and on arrival
You have a forwarder and customs agent, and understand Incoterms
You can carry the loss if a lot arrives below standard

Questions to ask any supplier

Supplier questions

Who produced this coffee, and what did they receive for it?
When did it arrive, and how has it been stored?
Can I have a pre-shipment or arrival sample of this exact lot?
What happens if the delivered coffee does not match the approved sample?
What are the payment terms, and what is the price delivered to my door?

Where Roastnet helps

Questions roasters ask

Is direct trade coffee cheaper?: The origin price can be lower than an importer's price, but once you add finance, freight, insurance, clearance, storage and the risk of a poor lot, the landed cost is often similar. The benefits are control and relationship.
What is an importer of record?: The party responsible for the customs import declaration and duties. For green coffee into the UK the duty is zero, but the declaration and its responsibilities still apply.