(Bloomberg) — Colombian coffee exports are largely paused after a devastating earthquake disrupted operations at the nation’s main port and triggered roadblocks along key highways, according to the head of a coffee exporters’ group.
Buenaventura, Colombia’s main coffee export port, is effectively inaccessible because of several road blockages, particularly around tunnels along the Cali-Buenaventura highway, a key route to the country’s Pacific coast, Gustavo Gomez, head of Asoexport, said in an interview.
“Coffee operations are currently paused. There may be some isolated operations, but at the moment the operation for exporting coffee has stopped,” Gomez said. “At this point, there is no specific formal communication saying when the road will be fully reopened.”
Port terminal managers are assessing damage and have paused or restricted coffee-receiving operations. Other ports in Cartagena and Santa Marta on Colombia’s Caribbean coast haven’t reported major disruptions, but rerouting coffee north has been complicated by a severe shortage of trucks.
The disruption is being aggravated by the concentration of transport companies and processing facilities in the country’s coffee-growing region near the area affected by the earthquake, where operations have also been disrupted.
Arabica coffee futures in New York whipsawed from multiweek highs to slight losses as traders weighed the potential supply and logistics impacts of earthquake that struck the world’s second-largest producer of the premium beans. Colombian coffee output reached 13.4 million 60-kilogram bags in 2025.
While Colombia produces coffee across much of the country, the timing of the disruption is particularly problematic because the harvest is currently concentrated in southern regions including Cauca, Narino, Valle del Cauca and Huila. Much of that coffee would normally be exported through Buenaventura.
“Processing facilities are still assessing damage. There have been no reports so far of severe structural damage to coffee mills, but operations are being affected by electricity outages, connectivity problems and the personal impact on workers, including people who have lost their homes,” Gomez said.
Even after roads and facilities reopen, exports could face further delays as accumulated coffee begins moving again, potentially creating congestion and bottlenecks at ports. Colombia exports around 1 million 60-kg bags of coffee a month, meaning that each day of disruption could hold up significant volumes of shipments.
“This will eventually lead to delays in shipments, and it will also put pressure on the supply chain once things start to reopen and operations resume,” Gomez said.
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