Eastern DR Congo grows excellent coffee and cocoa. It is also more than a thousand kilometres from the nearest ocean port. For a roaster or processor in Europe, the question is not only how good a lot is, but how it actually gets here. This is the route our coffee and cocoa take from Beni, North Kivu, to our warehouses in Antwerp and Felixstowe, and what happens at each stop.
Stop 1: Beni, North Kivu – buying and preparing at origin
MD Trade has its own office and warehouse in Beni, run by our representative Elvis. We buy coffee and cocoa from farmers and cooperatives around Beni and across Kivu. Every lot is weighed, sampled and checked for moisture before we commit to it, then dried, sorted and packed in jute bags. This is also where we collect the origin and plot data needed for the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Having our own warehouse at origin means we can hold a lot until it is export-ready, instead of loading whatever is on the truck.
Stop 2: across the border into Uganda
From Beni the road runs east to the border at Kasindi on the Congolese side and Mpondwe on the Ugandan side. Export documents, the phytosanitary certificate and the certificate of origin are checked here, and the goods are cleared out of the DRC. Road conditions and security in the region change through the year, and heavy rains can slow trucks for days. Uganda and the DRC are upgrading the Mpondwe–Beni–Butembo road, which should make this leg more reliable over time.
Stop 3: Kampala – consolidation
Kampala is the logistics hub of the region. At our warehouse there, lots are re-weighed, checked and consolidated into container loads. When a buyer requires it, an independent surveyor inspects and samples the goods before loading, and bags can be repacked if needed. From Kampala, containers move to the coast by road or rail.
Stop 4: Dar es Salaam – the sea port
East Africa has two main gateways to the sea: Mombasa in Kenya, at the end of the Northern Corridor, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, on the Central Corridor. We use both, depending on vessel schedules, costs and the destination of the lot. In Dar es Salaam we have our own warehouse, where lots can be stored, sampled and loaded onto the vessel. It also lets us serve buyers outside Europe on FOB terms.
Stop 5: Antwerp and Felixstowe
Antwerp is Europe's leading port for coffee and cocoa, and our main warehouse for buyers in the EU. Felixstowe serves our buyers in the United Kingdom. The difference matters: from 30 December 2026 the EUDR applies to coffee and cocoa placed on the EU market, while the UK is outside the EUDR. We explain what that means for goods in transit or in stock in our EUDR countdown article.
Why this route matters now
In mid-October 2026, ICE arabica for December traded around 295 c/lb, against about 3,375 USD/t for London robusta. That is a spread of roughly 140 c/lb, wide enough for many blenders to look again at robusta from Uganda and the DRC. At the same time, Brent crude near 105 USD per barrel keeps freight and energy costs high. On a long overland route, good planning is worth as much as a good price.
What buyers should plan for
- Lead time: allow for the overland leg as well as the sea voyage. We give an indicative schedule for every lot and update it as the goods move.
- Samples: pre-shipment samples from Beni or Kampala, and arrival samples in Antwerp or Felixstowe.
- Documents: certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate and the EUDR origin and plot data travel with the lot.
- Delivery point: depending on the lot, we can sell at different points along the route, from Kampala or Dar es Salaam to delivered Antwerp or Felixstowe.
Trade buyers who want to see current lots can request access to the MD Trade Market, or write to us at info@MDTrade.eu. You can also read more about our origins.