On August 1st, at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, the coffee beans from Elida Estate won the championship in the washed Guixia coffee category. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
China is the best market for Panama's Guixia coffee, "said Wilford Lamastus, the head of Panama's Elida estate." There are knowledgeable and enthusiastic consumers there who are willing to learn about Guixia coffee and explore how to better roast, grind, and brew it. That's why producers and consumers can understand each other and grow together
Recently, at the 30th "Best Coffee of Panama" competition held in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, the coffee beans from Elida Estate won the championship in the washed Guixia coffee category. Lamastus excitedly said that he would celebrate this victory with his Chinese friends. In his opinion, it is precisely thanks to the high standards of quality and flavor set by the Chinese market for Guixia coffee that Panamanian coffee producers are able to continuously improve in the fine processing of Guixia coffee beans, with each taste buds' "two-way rush", making Panamanian Guixia coffee even more brilliant.
On July 30th, international judges discussed the cup test results at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bocht area of Chiriqui Province, Panama. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
Guixia is a coffee variety originating from Ethiopia. After being introduced to Panama in the 1960s and 1970s, it was cultivated by Emerald Manor and became famous for its rich floral aroma and bright fruit acid. It has repeatedly broken records for coffee auction prices. Nowadays, high-quality coffee such as Guixia Coffee has developed into one of the important industries in Panama.
In recent years, coffee trade and cooperation between China and Pakistan have continued to deepen, with significant growth in Panamanian coffee exports to China. According to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, Panama's coffee exports to China have significantly increased between 2018 and 2025. By 2025, China has become the largest export market for Panamanian coffee.
On July 30th, international judges discussed the cup test results at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bocht area of Chiriqui Province, Panama. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
Rachel Pedersen, the coffee director of Panama Emerald Estate, told reporters that the Chinese market has always been an important driving force for Panama's coffee producers to move forward, and "there is no place that can provide such vast opportunities as the Chinese market".
The reporter saw that during the interval of this year's "Panama's Best Coffee" competition or in addition to the estate cup test, coffee industry players from China often hold up their phones and aim their cameras at coffee estates, processing plants, and even estate owners, introducing coffee production areas, batches, and flavors to domestic consumers through short videos. The cup testing at the origin end can almost simultaneously reach the Chinese market.
On July 30th, at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, international judges conducted cup tests on coffee. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
In addition to spot purchases, China's vast consumer market and increasingly mature coffee industry chain are driving the continuous extension of China Pakistan coffee cooperation to the production process. Lamastus said that researchers from Yunnan, China have come to Panama to exchange new ideas on coffee bean processing with the plantation, and Panamanian coffee producers will also learn from Chinese research results. The estate also exports Guixia coffee seeds to China, and some seeds have been cultivated into coffee trees locally.
Coffee entrepreneur Peng Jinyang comes from Guiyang, China and began deep cooperation with multiple estates in Panama more than a decade ago. Every year before the processing season, we go to Panama to have face-to-face communication with the plantation owners, and make targeted requirements for the processing of coffee beans. During the production process, we continue to communicate through email, and after the finished product is produced, we send cup testers to the local area for inspection and discussion. We also share China's experience in fermentation research and practice with the plantation
On July 30th, at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, international judges conducted cup tests on coffee. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
The main judge of this year's "Best Coffee in Panama" competition, Fan Dian, noticed that more and more Chinese buyers are starting to go to Panama before the coffee bean processing stage to communicate with the estate and customize batches. Panama coffee plantation owners also frequently visit coffee shops, roasters, and buyers in China, allowing market feedback on coffee bean processing methods and flavors to be more directly reflected in the production process.
Looking ahead, Fan Dian believes that as the demand of Chinese consumers is further segmented, smaller and more finely divided micro batches and customized batches of coffee will enter the Chinese market, and the cooperation between China and Pakistan Coffee will continue to deepen into production and technology. With the two-way flow of market information, production experience, and technological capabilities between the two countries, China and Pakistan are moving from coffee trading partners to deeper industrial cooperation partners.
On August 1st, at the 30th "Panama's Best Coffee" competition held in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, international judges conducted cup tests on coffee. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
This is a photo taken on July 31st at the Elida Estate in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, of washed Guixia coffee beans waiting for cup testing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
On July 31st, coffee practitioners recorded cup test results at the Elida Estate in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu
On July 31st, at the Elida Estate in the Bockett area of Chiriqui Province, Panama, coffee practitioners discussed cupping sensations. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jiaxu