Interview with Fan Dian, Lead International Judge of the 30th Best of Panama Coffee Competition: China-Panama Coffee Cooperation Extends and Upgrades Its Chain from Market to Farm

Brief (coffeeyo.com): In an interview, Fan Dian—lead international judge of the 30th “Best of Panama” competition—says China-Panama coffee cooperation is moving beyond trade into industrial collaboration, as China became Panama’s top coffee export market in 2025.

Xinhua News Agency, Boquete, Panama, August 11 (Reporter Li Jiaxu) — Fan Dian, the lead international judge of the 30th “Best of Panama” coffee competition, said in a recent interview that China-Panama coffee cooperation is expanding from trade exchanges to industrial collaboration, with product customization, personnel exchanges, and technical communication growing ever deeper.

According to the UN Comtrade database, Panama’s coffee exports to China grew substantially between 2018 and 2025. In 2025, China became Panama’s largest export market for coffee.

“The Chinese market is of great significance to Panama’s coffee industry,” Fan Dian said. The niche demand for specialty coffee nurtured by China’s supersized market provides ample market space for Panama’s Geisha—low in output and positioned at the high end. At the same time, the unique flavor profile of Geisha happens to match the tastes of a growing number of Chinese consumers.

Fan Dian recalled that when she was promoting Panama estate coffee in China a decade ago, many consumers only knew “Panama Geisha.” Today, some consumers have begun to pay attention to specific estates, plots, and even harvest months. “The professionalism and maturity of China’s specialty coffee market are both rising rapidly,” she said.

Continuously segmenting consumer demand is rapidly transmitting to the origin. Fan Dian said that more and more Chinese buyers travel to Panama before processing to communicate with estates and customize batches, while Panamanian estate owners also proactively visit Chinese cafés, roasters, and buyers to adjust flavor design and processing methods according to market preferences.

In addition, Fan Dian pointed out that Panama has deep expertise in premium varieties, while the processing technology of Chinese coffee regions such as Yunnan is developing rapidly. The two sides complement each other’s strengths, and multiple cooperation initiatives around variety introduction and technical exchange have been carried out in recent years.

Fan Dian believes that as Chinese consumer demand becomes further segmented, more refined micro-lots and customized batches will enter the Chinese market in the future, and China-Panama coffee cooperation will further deepen into the production and technical stages.

The 30th “Best of Panama” coffee competition recently concluded in Boquete, an important coffee-producing region of Panama.

Source: Xinhua News Agency (Reporter: Li Jiaxu).

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