The First Hainan International Coffee Conference 2025 Concludes Successfully: Global Coffee Leaders Chart a New Chapter for the Industry!
From August 22 to 23, 2025, the Hainan First International Coffee Conference 2025, jointly hosted by the Guangdong Imported Food Association and the Hainan Coffee Industry Association, was successfully concluded in Hainan on August 23.
At present, China’s coffee consumption market continues to expand rapidly, and the industry faces an urgent need for upgrading across the entire supply chain—from planting and processing to trade. Leveraging policy benefits of the Hainan Free Trade Port, such as “zero tariffs and low tax rates,” the coffee industry is seizing a new opportunity to “land in Hainan and connect with the world.” With years of experience in the food sector, the Guangdong Imported Food Association has consistently focused on policy empowerment and industrial matchmaking. By organizing this conference together with the Hainan Coffee Industry Association, it aims to build a bridge for coffee enterprises intending to establish planting and processing operations in Hainan, helping them seize opportunities in the Free Trade Port’s development.
The conference attracted nearly 500 elite representatives from the coffee industry chain, including participants from 16 major coffee-producing countries around the world and 19 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China. Covering an exhibition area of nearly 1,000 square meters, the event featured lively exchanges and yielded fruitful outcomes.
Nearly 60 international guests and numerous authoritative experts from China’s coffee sector participated, spanning core segments of the industry chain including planting, processing, trade, branding, scientific research, and investment. Representatives of important international organizations, founders of world-renowned coffee brands, world championship winners, top scholars, and industry leaders gathered in Hainan. Through high-level dialogues, keynote speeches, and roundtable discussions, they explored pathways toward modernization, internationalization, and premium development of the coffee industry.
On the first day, keynote speakers at the main forum shared deep insights on hot topics such as economic trends, smart supply chains, artificial intelligence, coffee culture, and health. Professors Wang Yuesheng (Peking University), Ren Yong (Tsinghua University), and Tsang Tit-yung (Chinese University of Hong Kong), among others, delivered thematic speeches, analyzing challenges and opportunities in the coffee industry from multidisciplinary perspectives.
In the afternoon, a roundtable dialogue themed “Breaking Boundaries for Hainan Coffee Under the Free Trade Port Framework” brought together industry leaders Xu Shibing, Xu Dan, Liu Hanxi, and Jason Sarley for lively discussions, offering strategic advice on branding and international expansion for Hainan coffee. Concurrently, the Hainan Free Trade Port Coffee Industry Investment Promotion Meeting successfully connected multiple enterprises with investment institutions and secured several cooperation intentions. Parallel sessions featured exciting activities such as boutique coffee exhibitions, latte art champion technique showcases, and pour-over sharing sessions, creating a vibrant atmosphere for industry exchange.
On the second day, the “Forum on Linking World Coffee with Hainan Coffee” welcomed representatives from the ASEAN Coffee Academy, the Yunnan Specialty Coffee Society, the Fragrance and Beverage Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, and international enterprises. They shared insights on Hainan coffee’s value, tasting concepts, processing technologies, and global market opportunities. The second roundtable dialogue focused on “Enhancing China’s International Voice in Coffee,” with active participation from Liu Haifeng, Sai Min, Su Chengcheng, and other guests, building consensus within the industry.
The afternoon product launch became the highlight of the conference. Seven brands—Vista, Zhutingzhou, Red Code, Transsion Coffee, Charoen Pokphand Group, Moshan Coffee, and Nanguo Foods—unveiled 20 new products. These covered smart equipment, ready-to-drink beverages, custom flavors, and festive gift boxes, fully demonstrating the innovation vitality of China’s coffee market.
Parallel sessions included a Moshan Coffee brewing demonstration and the cupping session of the Hainan Robusta Green Bean Competition, further enriching the interactivity and professionalism of the event.As the first large-scale international coffee industry event in the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Hainan First International Coffee Conference 2025successfully created an authoritative platform integrating high-level dialogue, industrial investment promotion, new product launches, competition showcases, and exhibition experiences.
Closely aligned with Hainan’s policy advantages, the conference incorporated multi-dimensional topics—including economy, technology, culture, health, and consumption—to comprehensively drive resource integration and innovation in the coffee industry. Through this event, Hainan further enhanced its visibility and influence in the global coffee industry, injecting fresh momentum into China’s integration with the international market and the pursuit of high-quality development. Attendees widely agreed that the results far exceeded expectations, broadening industry horizons and facilitating the implementation of multiple international cooperation projects.
Looking ahead, Hainan will continue to leverage the Free Trade Port’s advantages. With the support and collaboration of organizations such as the Guangdong Imported Food Association, it will accelerate the internationalization and premium development of its coffee industry, working hand in hand with global coffee peers to shape a new future for the sector and contribute more Chinese wisdom and strength to the development of the global coffee industry.