Trade· 6 min read
Incoterms Explained for Coffee and Spice Trade: FOB vs CFR vs CIF
Three letters on a contract decide who pays for the ship, who insures the cargo and who carries the risk at sea.
Insights
Insights on freight, shipping and the coffee and spice trade
Practical, plain-English guides for exporters, importers, roasters and spice buyers — written by the people who ship and trade.
01Trade
Coffee & spice trade guides
- Trade
Trade· 5 min read
India–UAE CEPA: How a Certificate of Origin Can Cut Import Duty
A trade agreement only saves money if the paperwork is right.
Trade· 6 min read
Letter of Credit vs Advance Payment: Paying for Coffee and Spice Imports Safely
The right payment term protects both buyer and seller — and keeps the container moving.
Trade· 7 min read
Indian Green Coffee Grades Explained: Plantation, Cherry, Parchment, AA and AB
Plantation AA, Robusta Cherry AB, Parchment PB — here is what every word on an Indian coffee contract means.
Trade· 4 min read
Steam-Sterilised Black Pepper: Why Food Manufacturers Ask for It
Pepper is a natural, sun-dried product. For some uses, that means an extra step before it reaches a factory.
Trade· 6 min read
Robusta vs Arabica: A Buyer's Guide to Indian Green Coffee
Two species, two cups, two markets — and most roasters need both.
Trade· 6 min read
Cardamom Grades Explained: 8mm, 7mm, AGEB and What Buyers Should Check
Size gets the headline, but colour and litre weight tell you whether the pod is worth the price.
- Trade
· 5 min read
How Green Cardamom Is Harvested and Dried in Kerala
The green that buyers pay for is created in the drying room.
Trade· 5 min read
Malabar Black Pepper Grades: MG1, TGEB, TGSEB and Bulk Density
The grade names are a century old. The logic behind them — size and density — is simple.
Trade· 6 min read
How to Evaluate Coffee and Spice Samples Before a Bulk Order
A sample is only useful if it represents the lot — and if you know what to measure.
- Trade
· 7 min read
Buying Bulk Spices from India: A Practical Guide for GCC Importers
From first sample to first container — a workflow that protects the importer.
- Trade
· 5 min read
Why UAE Importers Source Coffee and Spices from Kerala
Two thousand years of trade across the Arabian Sea — and the reasons it still makes sense.
03Logistics
Freight & shipping guides
- Logistics
· 5 min read
Phytosanitary Certificates for Exporting Coffee and Spices from India
The plant-health certificate that decides whether your coffee or spices clear at the other end.
- Logistics
· 7 min read
How to Ship Coffee Beans from India to the UAE in a 40ft Container
What it actually takes to get a 40ft container of coffee from an Indian curing works to a UAE port — in the order it happens.
Logistics· 6 min read
Jebel Ali vs Khorfakkan: Which UAE Port Should Your Cargo Use?
Both ports can land your container in the UAE. The better choice depends on where your cargo is going next.
Logistics· 5 min read
FCL vs LCL: Which Sea Freight Option Is Right for Your Export?
Part load or full box? The answer is mostly arithmetic — plus a few things the arithmetic misses.
- Logistics
· 5 min read
How to Prevent Container Rain When Shipping Coffee and Spices
The biggest threat to a coffee container is often the water that was already inside it.
- Logistics
· 6 min read
Export Documents Checklist: What Every Shipment from India Needs
Most shipping delays are paperwork delays. Here is the checklist we work from.
- Logistics
· 5 min read
Shipping from India to Saudi Arabia: Ports, Documents and Transit
Two coasts, two main ports — pick the one closest to your buyer.
Logistics· 5 min read
20ft vs 40ft Container: Which Size for Coffee, Pepper or Cardamom?
A 40ft container has twice the space of a 20ft — but not twice the weight allowance. That changes everything for dense cargo.