Reporter’s Notebook: Yunnan Coffee Finds Its Way into New Zealand Cafes

Summary

Xinhua reporters Yi Aijun, Chen Zheng'an and Zhuang Beining report that coffee beans from Yunnan, China, are increasingly appearing in cafes in major New Zealand cities. Auckland-based MQ Coffee is committed to promoting Yunnan coffee locally. Co-founder Wang Yanqi said Yunnan coffee quality has improved markedly in recent years, and overseas consumers are paying growing attention to Chinese coffee.

The company operates in New Zealand in coffee product customisation, drip coffee production and packaging, and promotes Yunnan coffee through tastings, professional training and origin exchanges. New Zealand coffee trainer Zhang Xue said Yunnan specialty coffee is becoming increasingly attractive in terms of flavour expression and quality consistency. Yunnan has formed six core coffee-producing regions: Pu'er, Baoshan, Lincang, Dehong, Xishuangbanna and Nujiang.

Pu'er coffee and Baoshan small-bean coffee have been included in the mutual recognition and protection list under the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement. According to Kunming Customs statistics, in the first eight months of 2026 Yunnan exported 11,000 tonnes of coffee worth 450 million yuan, mainly to 42 countries and regions including Vietnam, Malaysia and Germany, ranking first nationwide by export value; in 2025 Yunnan exported 195.6 tonnes of green coffee beans to New Zealand, worth 10.2 million yuan. Kunming Changchun Import and Export Trading Co Ltd exported about 1 tonne of coffee beans to New Zealand in March this year.

General Manager Wang Shizhao said Queenstown's Wolf Specialty Coffee imported Yunnan coffee beans, and Typica coffee has been well received by local consumers. Wang Yanqi said some Yunnan coffees have good sweetness and body, retaining coffee flavour when milk is added, which suits New Zealand's milk-coffee drinking style. MQ Coffee also organises New Zealand coffee professionals and enthusiasts to visit Yunnan producing regions to learn about cultivation and processing.

Commentary

Yunnan coffee beans are quietly entering New Zealand cafes, a trend underpinned by the rapid upgrading of China's coffee industry. As China's largest coffee-producing region, Yunnan exported 11,000 tonnes of coffee worth 450 million yuan in the first eight months of 2026, ranking first nationwide, with Pu'er and Baoshan small-bean coffee included in the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement. New Zealand's coffee market is mature, with per-capita coffee consumption among the world's highest, but the country produces no coffee beans of its own and relies entirely on imports, traditionally dominated by Brazilian and Colombian beans.

Yunnan beans, with their sweetness and body, are highly compatible with New Zealand's popular milk-coffee culture, and their specialty route aligns with local consumers' pursuit of quality and distinctive flavours. For New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners, the arrival of Yunnan coffee represents both competition and opportunity: on one hand, local roasters and cafes can introduce Yunnan beans as a differentiated product to meet consumer demand for novelty; on the other, Yunnan coffee exporters need to build stable channels, and local New Zealand businesses familiar with the market can become their distribution partners. Notably, Yunnan's coffee exports remain dominated by green beans with lower added value, and New Zealand companies could consider partnering with Yunnan suppliers to develop roasted beans or drip coffee products to improve margins.

In addition, under the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement coffee tariffs are already zero, with logistics costs the main consideration, but direct or connecting routes from Yunnan to New Zealand are becoming more convenient, lowering the trade barrier. Yunnan coffee's expansion in New Zealand is still at an early stage, but if it can consistently ensure quality stability and tell its origin story well, it has the potential to carve out a place in the specialty coffee niche.

Keywords: Yunnan coffee, New Zealand, MQ Coffee, coffee exports, Kunming Customs, Wang Yanqi, specialty coffee, China-EU Geographical Indications, coffee-producing regions, Queenstown

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

新华社记者易爱军、陈正安、庄北宁报道，中国云南出产的咖啡豆越来越多出现在新西兰主要城市的咖啡馆中。总部位于奥克兰的MQ Coffee致力于在当地推广云南咖啡，联合创始人王彦琦表示，近年来云南咖啡品质明显提升，海外消费者对中国咖啡的关注度持续增加。该公司在新西兰开展咖啡产品定制、挂耳咖啡生产及包装等业务，并通过产品品鉴、专业培训和产地交流等方式推广云南咖啡。

新西兰咖啡培训师张雪说，云南精品咖啡在风味表现和品质稳定性等方面吸引力越来越强。云南已形成普洱、保山、临沧、德宏、西双版纳和怒江六大核心咖啡产区，普洱咖啡和保山小粒咖啡入选中欧地理标志协定互认互保名录。据昆明海关统计，2026年前8个月云南省出口咖啡1.1万吨，价值4.5亿元，主要出口至越南、马来西亚、德国等42个国家和地区，出口货值居全国首位；2025年云南省向新西兰出口咖啡生豆195.6吨，出口额1020万元。

昆明畅春进出口贸易有限公司今年3月向新西兰出口约1吨咖啡豆，总经理王士钊介绍，昆斯敦沃尔夫精品咖啡馆进口了云南咖啡豆，铁皮卡咖啡受到当地消费者欢迎。王彦琦说，部分云南咖啡甜感和醇厚度好，加入牛奶后仍保持咖啡风味，与新西兰奶咖饮用方式适配。MQ Coffee还组织新西兰咖啡从业者和爱好者赴云南产区了解种植和加工情况。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

云南咖啡豆正悄然进入新西兰咖啡馆，这一趋势背后是中国咖啡产业的快速升级。云南作为中国最大咖啡产区，2026年前8个月出口咖啡1.1万吨、货值4.5亿元，居全国首位，其中普洱和保山小粒咖啡已入选中欧地理标志协定。新西兰咖啡市场成熟，人均咖啡消费量居世界前列，但本土不产咖啡豆，完全依赖进口，传统上以巴西、哥伦比亚豆为主。

云南豆凭借甜感和醇厚度，与新西兰流行的奶咖文化高度适配，且精品化路线契合了当地消费者对品质和独特风味的追求。对于新西兰中小企业主而言，云南咖啡的进入既是竞争也是合作机会：一方面，本地烘焙商和咖啡馆可引入云南豆作为差异化产品，满足消费者尝新需求；另一方面，云南咖啡出口商需要建立稳定渠道，而新西兰本地企业熟悉市场，可成为其分销伙伴。值得注意的是，云南咖啡出口仍以生豆为主，附加值较低，新西兰企业可考虑与云南供应商合作开发烘焙豆或挂耳咖啡等产品，提升利润空间。

此外，中新自贸协定下咖啡关税已为零，物流成本是主要考量，但云南至新西兰的直航或中转航线日益便利，降低了贸易门槛。云南咖啡在新西兰的拓展尚处早期，但若能持续保证品质稳定并讲好产地故事，有望在精品咖啡细分市场占据一席之地。

关键词: 云南咖啡, 新西兰, MQ Coffee, 咖啡出口, 昆明海关, 王彦琦, 精品咖啡, 中欧地理标志, 咖啡产区, 昆斯敦

Source: Economic and Commercial Office of the Ministry of Commerce at the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland